The US military escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, marking a wartime high as Iran and the US exchanged a new round strikes on Tuesday, two US officials familiar with the operations told CNN.

U.S. forces completed another wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday stateside, hitting multiple Revolutionary Guard sites across the country.

The wartime blockage of cargo traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is a boon for Syria, which is poised to capitalize on a need for alternative transit routes for oil.

CENTCOM's Adm. Brad Cooper details how Navy divers, SEALs and air power quietly cleared Iranian sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes.

The ships were hit near Oman on Monday, the latest attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf. Oil prices rose more than 2 percent.

Trump suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz "Trump Strait" after saying the strategic waterway is under U.S. control.

The Energy secretary spoke to CNBC's Brian Sullivan in Venezuela on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump announced a massive oil deal with Caracas.

Follow The Hindu LIVE updates on West Asia conflict as Iran pushes ahead with strikes targeting American interests around the West Asia, vowing "severe" consequences to U.S. attacks