close Escalating US-Iran tensions in Strait of Hormuz Bill Hemm provides a detailed overview of the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Iran's latest attacks on commercial shipping came just as the United States and Oman were beginning to steer more vessels through a new southern shipping corridor hugging Oman's coastline — an alternative route designed to move traffic farther from Iran's immediate reach. Former U.S.