Gulf

Explosions, US self-defense strikes, and renewed clashes near the Strait of Hormuz show how unresolved maritime leverage, Gulf vulnerability, and political deadlock could push the conflict further.

The cause of the oil spill, which appears to cover the waters west of the 8-kilometer island, is still unknown.

The UAE intercepted numerous missiles and drones on Monday, and a key oil port in the UAE was attacked. CNN reported that the UAE used an Israeli air defense system in this recent round of attacks.

Abdullah Al-Khamis, a Kuwaiti political journalist, proposes an alternative: an Arab coordination council comprising the Gulf states, Jordan, Morocco, and Syria.

The officials recommended that the existing ceasefire between the US and Iran be extended, so as to allow for a more suitable timeframe in which to make the deal. 

A US-sanctioned Chinese tanker, Rich Starry, crosses the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first to exit the Gulf since the US blockade began, carrying methanol from the UAE.

The IMF warned that the situation at Hormuz could be similar to the one in Bab-al-Mandeb, where shipping lanes haven’t yet recovered ever since the first Houthi attack.

Over the years, scholars have proposed possible sites for the crossing, with Dr. Yehoshua Meron concluding that it took place near the shoreline of Nuweiba on the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula.

The Gulf is likely feeling that some of its concerns are being addressed and that many countries want to see the talks continue.

"This war will be remembered as Trump's grave strategic miscalculation. One whose consequences reshaped the region in unintended ways," Middle East scholar Fawaz Gerges told Reuters.