Netanyahu Warns Iran’s New Leader After Threat to Keep Hormuz Shut
The war between Iran, Israel, and the United States is now centered on one of the world’s most important shipping routes: the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, signaled the waterway could remain closed or heavily restricted as leverage against U.S. and Israeli attacks, escalating tensions across the Persian Gulf. According to Reuters and AP reporting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with a warning that Iran’s leadership itself could become a target.
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The standoff is already rippling through global markets. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil normally flows through the strait, and shipping traffic has plunged after missile, drone, and naval attacks on vessels in the region.
Brent crude has surged past $100 a barrel, and analysts warn the disruption could become the largest shock to energy markets in decades if the route stays blocked.
President Donald Trump has also intensified rhetoric, posting online that Iranian forces were being “decimated” and warning Tehran to “watch what happens.”
Diplomats say the next moves by Iran, Israel, and U.S. naval forces around the strait could determine whether the crisis expands into a broader regional war.
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