War in the Middle East: United States and Iran on the verge of conflagration with the escalation in the Strait of Hormuz

The entire Middle East is once again on the verge of igniting. The truce between the United States and Iran was further weakened on Monday by clashes between the belligerents around the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of fire from Iran towards one of its Gulf neighbors, the United Arab Emirates.

This rise in tensions, which are undermining the ceasefire in force since April 8, follows Donald Trump’s announcement of an American military operation intended to restore the circulation of ships in this strait blocked by Iran and through which a fifth of world consumption usually passes. petroleum and liquefied natural gas. The American president warned, in remarks reported by Fox News, that if they targeted American ships in this area, “the Iranians would be pulverized from the face of the Earth.”

Oil is still blazing

These new attacks have revived fears in the markets, where oil prices have jumped. A barrel of Brent, an international benchmark, closed on Monday at $114.44, an increase of 5.8%.

The Fujairah oil site, one of the few accessible in the region without passing through the strait, was targeted by a drone which caused a fire. The Emirates also announced that they had been targeted by four cruise missiles “launched from Iran”. An oil tanker from the national oil company Adnoc was also targeted by two Iranian drones. The country denounced “a dangerous escalation”, reserving the right to retaliate.

The Islamic Republic “had no plans to target the Emirates”, however, assured Iranian state television, citing an unidentified senior officer. This officer denounced the consequences of “American military adventurism”, in reference to the operation aimed at unblocking ships trapped in the Gulf by the closure of Hormuz.

Iran relies on Pakistan’s mediation

According to the head of the American command for the region (Centcom), Brad Cooper, American forces destroyed six Iranian boats and intercepted Iranian missiles and drones launched against American military and commercial buildings. Tehran has denied that the United States destroyed Iranian boats in the strait.

“The events in Hormuz demonstrate that there is no military solution to a political crisis,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on X. He urged the United States to favor the path of mediation from Pakistan, warning them against the risk of allowing themselves to be “dragged into a quagmire”.

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Differences remain significant between the two countries, and attempts to relaunch negotiations have so far failed, despite a first direct meeting in Islamabad on April 11. Tehran said on Sunday that it had received a response from Washington, which has not been made public, to its latest settlement proposal.