US, Iran engaged in tanker war: Where is the months-long conflict headed?

The United States and Iran have escalated tit-for-tat attacks in the past 24 hours, with Washington targeting three Iranian oil tankers and Tehran hitting tankers and firing a ballistic missile towards US warships patrolling near the Strait of Hormuz.Experts have dubbed Iran’s targeting of the two US aircraft carriers a “calculated escalation”, as the months-long fighting is increasingly playing out at sea, with both sides trying to exert control over the strategic strait – a global chokepoint used by Tehran as leverage in the war.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why is Trump threatening to strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain again, now?list 2 of 3At least four civilians killed in Houthi missile strike near Yemen’s Taizlist 3 of 3Iran President Pezeshkian calls for unity as US ramps up economic pressureend of listThe attacks on tankers come as the US claims that an increasing volume of oil has started to flow through the strait, though the exact figures are still debatable, while the naval blockade of Iranian ports continues.The latest exchanges further dim hopes for a de-escalation through diplomacy as the US-Israel war on Iran has disrupted energy supplies and slowed econ...