The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point of conflict once again, with Iran and the United States vying for control and exchanging fire in the early hours of Thursday, July 16, 2026. The waterway's strategic importance has led both nations to deploy various monitoring techniques to maintain situational awareness.

Following the launch of war on Iran by the US and Israel on February 28, 2026, Tehran effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic. This action caused a surge in prices for oil, fertilizer, and other goods, extending the impact well beyond the region and providing Iran with significant leverage in negotiations.

Commodore Steve Prest, a retired naval officer and Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), explained that there is no single authority monitoring the strait. Instead, both sides fuse information from multiple sources—including radar from warships, surveillance drones, maritime patrol aircraft, satellites, and shipping data—to create a comprehensive picture of activity in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Ships transmit signals via radios, maritime radars, and even infrared views capturing heat plumes from funnels, all observable from space.

US President Donald Trump stated on Monday, July 14, 2026, "We had a deal yesterday, or the day before yesterday, it was all done," but added that the deal was immediately broken up because "they found out there was something in the deal they didn't like."

According to Prest, effective monitoring of the Strait of Hormuz will be essential for securing any form of peace in the region.

Sources