Iran is escalating the war by attacking ships along a key oil route. Here’s what we know. | CNN

Iran might be outgunned and outspent by the US and Israel, but it has one major advantage — its control over the Strait of Hormuz. By attacking ships navigating the narrow waterway, Iran has effectively shut the route through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei gave no sign of relenting, warning in his first purported message, that the strait will remain closed as a “tool of pressure.” While the strait remains almost entirely closed to Western-aligned shipping traffic, Iranian oil is still passing through, according to several marine intelligence trackers, underlining Tehran’s control of it. Iranian activity near the strait has become more aggressive as it attempts to choke off one of the global economy’s key arteries. More than a dozen vessels have been attacked since the war began. Even in peacetime, great skill is required to navigate the strait’s narrow channel and busy traffic. Now any once crossing risks being fired on from sea or the nearby Iranian coast. On Tuesday it emerged that Iran had begun laying mines in the strait, according to two people familiar with US intelligence on the matter. The mining