Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz an inviolable "red line" on Thursday, warning that any U.S. strikes on Iranian infras

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz an inviolable "red line" on Thursday, warning that any U.S. strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including the power plants and bridges President Donald J. Trump has threatened to target, would trigger retaliatory strikes against critical infrastructure across the Gulf region. The warning comes after four consecutive days of strikes against Iranian military targets and has reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports, with Washington stating the objective is to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following repeated Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. Iranian officials maintained that control of the Strait is not dependent on coastal bases or islands, insisting Tehran retains the ability to control the waterway from across its territory. They also reiterated that reopening the Strait requires U.S. compliance with the previously signed memorandum of understanding and acceptance of Iranian regulations governing vessel transits. The rhetoric comes amid a rapidly widening regional conflict, with Iran launching missile and drone attacks against U.S. forces and partners in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain, while analysts continue to warn that Tehran could also seek to pressure global trade by expanding the confrontation to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait through its Houthi allies in Yemen. Source: