The Strait of Hormuz has become the focus of an escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran, with both sides reporting attacks on commercial and military-linked vessels while offering sharply different accounts of shipping conditions. US Central Command said three Iranian crude tankers were struck near Kharg Island, Jask and in the Gulf of Oman; two were permanently disabled and a third sank. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked ships in the strait, struck a US-built sea drone and launched ballistic missiles toward a US aircraft carrier and another warship. The IRGC said the vessels were damaged, while CENTCOM said the missile attacks were evaded. The United States says naval escorts and its blockade have restored some traffic, but Iranian authorities say the strait remains closed. TankerTrackers estimated Middle East crude exports in August were down 39% from a January-February baseline of 18.5 million barrels per day, while Iran’s 1.68 million-barrel-per-day baseline exports may remain at zero. The dispute is increasing pressure on Iran’s economy and has pushed Tehran to establish an economic war headquarters, while Washington says sanctions and the blockade are intended to exhaust Iran’s remaining oil supplies.