Israel's defense minister said that Israeli forces have killed the navy chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard as tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz. The reported strike comes during a deepening confrontation that has drawn global attention to the strategic waterway.

The crisis has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman that serves as one of the world's most critical oil shipping routes. Roughly one fifth of global oil and petroleum products typically transit the strait.

With tanker traffic sharply disrupted, energy markets have been thrown into turmoil, raising concerns about supply shortages and rising prices worldwide. The killing is likely to further inflame tensions in an already volatile standoff with significant economic and geopolitical consequences.