When Iran faced an all-out war against the United States and Israel, Tehran did not respond with missiles and drones alone; it shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy.As Iran and the US moved towards a ceasefire, Iran saw control of the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic gain it was unwilling to relinquish.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listBut Washington wanted the waterway to return to its pre-war status as a free-for-all international shipping lane.That fundamental disagreement over the strait is at the core of the renewed clashes between the two countries, analysts say.The ongoing skirmishes started on Monday after at least three suspected Iranian attacks on commercial ships sailing outside the route designated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).The US responded with waves of strikes against dozens of targets on the southern shores of Iran. In turn, Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US bases across the region.US President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that established the truce and negotiations process between the two countries was “over”. More fighting followed on Thursday.“The MoU committed both sides to keeping the Strait open through coordinated arrangements for safe commercial navigation, not unilateral action,” Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy.“From Tehran’s perspective, that means any passage or maritime security arrangements should be coordinated with Iran.” Advertisement Some ships have been hugging the Omani coast and passing through the strait without coordinating with Iran, a move that Mortazavi says esta …
