Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - The renewed fighting appears to have been triggered by the collapse of an already fragile U.S-Iran ceasefire, after Washington struck Iranian military targets and Tehran responded with retaliatory attacks on U.S. and allied positions in the region. The result has been a rapid escalation across West Asia, with missile exchanges and a sharp drop in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Reports say the U.S. hit roughly 170 Iranian targets over two nights, focusing on military infrastructure, air defenses, coastal facilities and IRGC-linked assets. Iran then retaliated with missile and drone strikes on U.S. positions in Gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, while also threatening the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides now accuse the other of violating the truce, which has effectively unraveled.

The Strait of Hormuz is central to the crisis because it is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, and shipping there has fallen to a trickle amid mines, warnings and military tension. According to reports, only a handful of vessels have crossed recently, far below normal traffic, as insurers, shipowners and navies reassess the risks. That disruption has magnified the conflict’s economic impact well beyond Iran’s borders.

All-out war is not inevitable, but the danger is real because both sides are now using direct force again and the main de-escalation channel has broken down. If the attacks on shipping and regional bases continue, the fighting could widen further and keep the Strait of Hormuz near paralysis.