The confrontation follows the widening conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. Conflict escalated after US–Israeli strikes on Iranian targets last weekend that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with hundreds of others. The attacks prompted Tehran to retaliate with missile and drone strikes across the region, targeting several Gulf countries and heightening fears of a broader regional war. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships against transiting the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to strike vessels linked to the United States and its allies.
