Guido Crosetto

Force in Play

Supporting participation with explicit non-combat conditions

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shut the Strait of Hormuz in late February 2026 after the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran. The closure choked off roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply, sent Brent crude above $126 a barrel, and cut tanker traffic through the strait by about 70 percent. Now a coalition of more than two dozen countries — led by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan — has pledged to help reopen the passage, while the U.S. has begun an aerial campaign to force the issue militarily.

Updated 3 hours ago