Continued from P1

The attacks come as they and the US insist the Strait of Hormuz must be open and free to ships to transit. Iran insists the strait, through which about a fifth of all oil and natural gas passes, must now be under its sole control and that vessels should begin to pay fees to Tehran - even though the world for decades has considered it an international waterway. Iran’s grip on the strait during the conflict led to aglobal energy crisis, though oil prices have sharply dropped since wartime highs of USD 120 a barrel. Israel, which took part in the Iran war, also has not claimed any recent attacks on Iran.