Bangladesh, Aug. 5 -- The latest reported strike on a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz is more than another wartime incident in an increasingly volatile Middle East. It is a reminder that one of the world's most strategically important maritime corridors is rapidly becoming the central battlefield of a confrontation whose consequences extend far beyond Washington and Tehran. When commercial vessels are struck by unidentified projectiles, crews are evacuated, and global shipping routes become military pressure points, the conflict has already outgrown its regional boundaries.

Whether responsibility for the latest incident is ultimately established or remains disputed, the implications are unmistakable. The Strait of Hormuz h...