“The Strait of Hormuz has been Iran’s most powerful card since the start of the war in late February. But over the past two months, U.S. officials say the American military has steadily eroded Iran’s leverage over the crucial waterway,” Axios reports.“What began six months ago with the goal of degrading Iran’s missile capabilities and destroying what remained of its nuclear program has evolved into an open-ended fight over the world’s most important energy chokepoint.”Bloomberg: U.S. commander, in video, declares Hormuz shipping lanes mine-free.