The attacks occurred in the Gulf of Oman, which leads to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil supply route|Iwona Rege|CC BY-SA 4.0

Tensions in the Middle East surged on Tuesday following separate maritime attacks by the US and Iran-aligned Houthis.

Both attacks occurred in the Gulf of Oman, which leads to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil supply route.

A suspected Houthi attack on an Egyptian cargo ship killed four crew members. Meanwhile, the US Navy fired missiles to disable a Panama-flagged cargo ship off Pakistan for violating a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran’s security official Mohsen Rezaei stated that the strait will stay closed until the US unfreezes Iranian assets and stops attacks in the region.

President Donald Trump maintained that the US has control over the strait.

The recent events have further reduced hopes for a quick end to the conflict between the United States and Iran.