U.S. Military Launches Major Operation to Reopen Blockaded Strait of Hormuz

U.S. warplanes and helicopters launched a military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Wall Street Journal, marking a significant escalation in the broader military conflict involving the United States in Iran. The operation, reported in the early hours of March 20, 2026, signals a direct effort by U.S. forces to restore freedom of navigation through one of the most strategically vital waterways on the planet. The move comes as part of the wider Operation Epic Fury framework, which has drawn the United States and Israel into direct armed conflict with Iran since late February. The Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple sources, handles between 20 and 25 percent of the world's oil and LNG trade, making its closure or disruption a matter of acute concern for global energy markets. Spanish-language outlet La Razón described the broader theater as a "guerra en Irán" — a war in Iran — underscoring the scale of the conflict now unfolding across the region.

Gulf attacks send oil and gas prices sharply higher Attacks in the Persian Gulf have directly aggravated the escalation of oil and gas prices, according to Correio da Manhã, as markets react to the threat of sustained disruption to energy flows through the strait. Multiple Portuguese and Spanish outlets published market analyses on March 20 describing the Middle East situation as placing significant pressure on global energy markets. Diario de Noticias characterized the dynamic as a "domino effect," with instability in the Middle East transmitting shocks through interconnected commodity and financial systems. The closure or partial blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, even temporarily, would affect the supply chains of dozens of importing nations across Europe, Asia, and beyond. Energy analysts cited by Portuguese media described the pressure on markets as substantial, with both crude oil and natural gas benchmarks responding to the military developments. The combination of active combat operations and uncertainty over the strait's navigability has created conditions for sustained price volatility in global energy trading. 20-25 (%) — share of world oil and LNG trade through Strait of Hormuz

Russia finds unexpected economic relief as energy revenues climb Russia is experiencing an economic breathing space as a direct consequence of the conflict in Iran and the resulting surge in energy prices, according to La Razón. The Spanish outlet reported that rising oil and gas revenues, driven by the disruption to Persian Gulf supply routes, have provided Moscow with financial relief at a time when its economy has been under sustained pressure from Western sanctions. The dynamic illustrates a broader geopolitical paradox: a military conflict initiated by the United States and Israel is generating economic benefits for a country that has been in open confrontation with the Western alliance over Ukraine. Diario de Noticias noted in a separate analysis that the international order is not at war in a formal sense but is in a state of deep crisis, with multiple overlapping conflicts straining the architecture of global governance. The energy price surge effectively functions as an indirect subsidy to Russian state revenues, reinforcing Moscow's capacity to sustain its military campaign in Ukraine. The Strait of Hormuz has historically been a focal point of geopolitical tension involving Iran and Western powers. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait during periods of heightened confrontation with the United States, including during tensions over its nuclear program. The waterway's importance stems from its position as the only maritime exit from the Persian Gulf, through which a substantial share of global oil exports must pass. The current conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, which killed then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in its initial strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei was subsequently appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026.

Analysts warn of geography as a decisive weapon in modern conflict Spanish commentator Olga Merino, writing in La Vanguardia, framed the crisis through the lens of geography as an instrument of warfare, arguing that physical chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz give smaller or weaker powers disproportionate leverage over global systems. The essay, published on March 19, reflects a growing body of analysis suggesting that the conflict's most consequential dimension may not be purely military but logistical and economic. Correio da Manhã published a dedicated commentary on the strait itself, titled "Sobre Ormuz" — "On Hormuz" — examining its centrality to the current crisis. The convergence of military operations, energy market disruption, and geopolitical realignment has prompted analysts across Europe to reassess the stability of the post-Cold War international order. Diario de Noticias argued that the international order is not experiencing a conventional war but a systemic crisis, with institutions and alliances under simultaneous strain from multiple directions. The battle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, if successful, would represent a significant operational achievement for U.S. forces, but the broader economic and geopolitical consequences of the Iran conflict are expected to persist well beyond any single military engagement.