President Trump says he'll end the war soon, when he wants to, as Iran hits ships in and near the Strait of Hormuz and warns U.S.-linked banks will be next.

Iran has allowed a small number of vessels to pass, but that won’t alleviate pressure or risk for the shipping industry and energy markets any time soon.

The Iran war has threatened Gulf ports and disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.

Iran might be outgunned and outspent by the US and Israel but it has one major advantage — its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

In Episode 1806 of Cut the Clutter (published on 9 March 2026), Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of ThePrint, explains the episode involving three Iranian naval ships caught in a conflict near Sri Lanka and India. He breaks down how one vessel, Dena, was ...