The US-Iran confrontation is entering a dangerous new phase. Iran claims it has shut the Strait of Hormuz and launched fresh drone attacks on US military positions, while Washington accuses Tehran of targeting a commercial vessel and has responded with a new wave of strikes. As both sides trade threats and military action intensifies, fears are growing over global energy supplies, shipping routes and the possibility of a wider regional conflict. Is the Gulf headed for a major war, and who really controls the world’s most critical oil chokepoint?