'The war that never ends': Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz as US-Iran conflict enters new phase
Photo: Satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz
INTERNATIONAL: The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, has been declared closed by Iran until further notice, after Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces struck a Cyprus-flagged vessel attempting to pass through the waterway on what Tehran described as an unapproved route, BBC reports.
The closure marks a dramatic escalation in a week that has already seen three commercial tankers attacked, multiple rounds of US strikes on Iranian targets, and the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran all but formally declared over.
What happened
According to the BBC, US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed it carried out a round of strikes this week following what it described as a “blatant” IRGC attack on the MV GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged vessel. The ship sustained significant damage to its engine room and was unable to continue its journey, with one crew member reported missing. The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations authority said the crew had been forced to abandon ship and were in a lifeboat.
The IRGC said it attacked the vessel after it turned off its tracking systems and deviated from what Iran considers the approved route through its own waters. This was a route that differed from the US-recommended passage through Omani waters that three other tankers were using when they were struck earlier in the week.
“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” CENTCOM wrote. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth added bluntly: “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”
Netizens react
Online, the mood ranged from dark humour to genuine bewilderment at how the conflict has evolved.
Several commenters questioned whether the original objectives of the war were ever clearly defined or have long since been lost. “Does anybody even know what this war is about anymore? The objectives were unclear from day one. Now it’s just bombing to hope we can open the Strait of Hormuz? Doubling down on a failed strategy? Could the average American on the street tell you why we are in this war?” one user wrote. Another responded simply: “The average American couldn’t tell you what we’ve been doing with our foreign policy anywhere for a few decades.”
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The sense of grinding, directionless conflict came through repeatedly. “The war that never ends,” one Reddit user wrote.
Others turned to humour to process the chaos surrounding the Strait of Hormuz itself. “I feel like the Strait of Hormuz has become like that old neighbourhood dive bar that doesn’t really have regular hours,” one netizen quipped, capturing the unpredictable, on-again-off-again nature of the waterway’s status this week.
And then there was the wry political commentary that has become almost reflexive whenever Trump announces a turning point. “Trump going to end the war for the 50th time soon,” one user wrote.