'Everybody is hurting' - Hormuz shipping crisis deepens amid Iran restrictions and regional missile attacks

Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in the United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

SOUTH-EAST ASIA (Bernama): Tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the wider West Asia conflict continued to escalate on Saturday as attacks, military deployments, and humanitarian concerns intensified across the region, according to multiple international news agency reports.

Iran has effectively restricted passage through the strategic waterway since early March following the launch of joint attacks by the United States (US) and Israel on Feb 28, which triggering retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Tehran and raising concerns over global energy supplies, shipping routes, and regional security.