On 19 March 2026, the United States began an aerial campaign against Iranian targets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following its closure by Iran in response to the 2026 Iran war. The operation was announced as part of a plan to reopen the passage to international shipping by destroying Iranian naval vessels and drones targeting shipping in the strait. Israel assassinated Alireza Tangsiri, the naval officer overseeing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iran war began on 28 February 2026 after the United States and Israel conducted airstrikes on various Iranian military targets, which included the assassination of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. In response, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to all foreign shipping. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) transmitted warnings via VHF radio to vessels in the Straits, stating that "no ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz." The British Royal Navy said that the closure was not legally binding though safety cannot be guaranteed, so several ships stayed in port or turned back.
On 2 March 2026, the IRGC officially confirmed that the strait was closed to "unfriendly nations", allowing only Iran-approved vessels to pass. On 4 March, the IRGC claimed that the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy had achieved "complete control" of the strait. Several Iran-approved ships have passed the strait during the conflict, mostly petroleum ships bound for China and India, some with military escort. Iran also threatened to set fire to any other ship that passed through it. In response to the closure, United States President Donald Trump said that 12 March the U.S. Navy would begin escorting oil tankers through the strait "as soon as possible."
On 15 March 2026, Donald Trump called on "countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait" to "take care of that passage" militarily. The following day, several U.S.-aligned NATO countries rejected Trump's request, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, and Japan, as well as the European Union. The various nations declined, citing the lack of strategic goals or reluctance to get drawn into the war. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said "this is not our war, we have not started it." Trump rebuked his NATO allies, calling their decision a "very foolish mistake" and said that the United States does "not need the help of anyone" in the war. On 19 March, 5 large European nations and Japan issued a statement to secure the strait after "first establishing a truce and building a multilateral naval coalition". Trump later lambasted NATO, calling them "cowards," asserting that "without the U.S.A., NATO is a paper tiger."
On 18 March, the United Arab Emirates declared its willingness to join a U.S.-led military effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
On 17 March, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had employed multiple GBU-72 5,000-pound penetrator munitions on underground missile silos along the Iranian coast near the strait. The munitions penetrated layers of rock and concrete to destroy underground bunkers which stored Iran's many cruise missiles and unused anti-ship missiles.
On 19 March, General Dan Caine announced that the U.S. was deploying A-10 Thunderbolt II jets to strike "fast-attack watercraft" and Boeing AH-64 Apache gunships to "handle one-way attack drones" in an attempt to open the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM subsequently published footage showing U.S. strikes "destroying Iranian naval assets that threaten international shipping in and near the Strait of Hormuz." That same day, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and United Kingdom declared their support to contribute in the efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz, as did the European Union.
On 20 March, Iran claimed that 16 commercial boats in the port of Bandar Lengeh "were completely burned" by U.S.âÂÂIsraeli strikes. Trump announced that "The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it â The United States does not! If asked, we will help these countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldnâÂÂt be necessary once IranâÂÂs threat is eradicated." Officials said that the U.S. military is dispatching 2,500 additional marines to the Middle East, who are trained to conduct amphibious landings. It has been speculated that the marines could be used to militarily seize Kharg Island, an important island in the Persian Gulf, which the U.S. Air Force had bombed earlier in the war while leaving most of the oil infrastructure on the island intact.
A total of 22 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, signed a statement declaring their willingness to "contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage" in the Strait of Hormuz, and that preparations were underway.
On 21 March, President Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran, demanding it to "fully open, without threat" the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, threatening to otherwise strike Iranian power plants, "with the biggest one first." In response, Iran doubled down, threatening to "completely" close the Strait of Hormuz and strike vital infrastructure across the region such as energy and desalination facilities critical for drinking water. Iranian opposition figure crown prince Reza Pahlavi called on Trump and Netanyahu "to continue targeting the regime and its apparatus of repression, while sparing the civilian infrastructure Iranians will need to rebuild our country."
On 26 March, Israel killed Iran's top naval commander, Alireza Tangsiri, portraying the killing as part of an effort to support the U.S.'s push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. According to Israeli defense minister Israel Katz, Tangsiri was overseeing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and was "directly responsible for the terrorist act of bombing and blocking the Strait of Hormuz." U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper said the assassination "makes the region safer." Tangsiri's killing was confirmed by Iranian authorities.
On 27 March, Iran remained firm in asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz. The same day, it reported that Iran had successfully blocked two Chinese ships which were attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz.
On 1 April, airstrikes targeting the strategically important Hengam Island in the Strait of Hormuz caused seven injuries, including one critically. According to a provincial official, the strikes hit civilian sites.
On 21 March, the Houthis in Yemen warned that it would respond to any escalation against Iran, including efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It specifically warned the two Arab countries offering to join the Strait of Hormuz campaignâÂÂBahrain and the UAEâÂÂthat they "will be the first to lose in this battle."