From the Guardian:
Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that usually carries one-fifth of global oil supplies, continues as a container ship is reported to have hit a naval mine. According to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy, a vessel carrying more than 2,500 containers on Wednesday attempted to transit what it described as an “unauthorised and dangerous” route. The ship caught fire after hitting a naval mine and has sunk in the south of the Strait. In a statement, Iran’s Guards have warned local vessels and fishermen to take care. While traffic on the 24-mile Strait appeared to be increasing over recent months, two senior Iranian officials say that Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships sailing through the passage as it seeks to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections.