Topline
The U.S. war with Iran showed the regime it can successfully shut down the Strait of Hormuz—giving it a new tool that it didn’t have before the conflict, with nothing barring it from using it again, U.S. intelligence assessments reportedly found.
The Ateela 2 Oil Tanker boat navigates the Strait of Hormuz on April 28, 2026. (Photo by Asghar Besharati/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Key Facts
Iran has already been planning to expand its strategy of choking global shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz if talks with the U.S. fall through to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, with the help of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, CNN reported, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the intel.
This is a developing story and will be updated.