UNITED KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE

London, July 10, 2026. A British organization, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), confirmed the first link in the crisis: three oil tankers damaged in twenty-four hours in the Strait of Hormuz, the highest total recorded in a single day since late April. According to reports, "no casualties have been reported" and Iran has not claimed responsibility for these attacks on merchant ships, but Qatar and Saudi Arabia have each condemned the targeting of a tanker flying their flag.

In the wake of these incidents, the US launched new strikes, presented by Centcom as a response "to impose a heavy cost on those who target commercial shipping in an international waterway." The US Treasury simultaneously revoked the license that allowed Tehran to sell its oil, with a transition period set for July 17. Iran described the decision as proof of the "bad faith" of the Trump administration, according to comments reported by Al Jazeera.

The escalation then spread: Tehran targeted US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, triggering missile alert sirens in the two Gulf countries. At the NATO summit in Ankara, Donald Trump declared the ceasefire "over," calling Iranian leaders "scum" and threatening to reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian ports. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte defended the strikes as "absolutely necessary."

A direct consequence for global trade, closely watched by the City: according to Bloomberg data cited by The Independent, only 14 merchant ships passed through the strait on Wednesday, compared to an average of 34 per day since the June agreement. The funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, completed on Thursday, had raised hopes for a lull conducive to negotiations on the nuclear program; instead, it preceded a collapse of the ceasefire, with a speech by an Iranian official openly calling for Trump's death during the funeral tribute.