Deadly version of the Battleships game is playing out in Hormuz: Who will win?
The classic game of Battleships requires you to guess where your opponent’s ships are located in order to sink them. A more deadly version is playing out in the Strait of Hormuz now. Oil is getting out – but is it enough to pry open Iran’s strangulation? The combat of words, data and barrels continues. Ships sail through quickly in convoy, under cover of darkness, with transponders turned off.…
A deadly version of the Battleships game is unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil and geopolitical interests collide. Major regional companies have established shuttle services to transport oil, with Iraq reportedly granted permission to send tankers carrying Iraqi oil through the Strait. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claims over 8 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil are leaving the Strait, although analysts using satellite data and ship-tracking estimate a more realistic figure of 4-6 million bpd.
The US Navy is reportedly aiding in the evacuation of 10 million bpd. The situation extends beyond oil, with liquefied petroleum gas vessels and various other commodities also requiring unhindered passage. The US military's role is facing challenges, with precision munitions and missile interceptors depleted and aircraft carriers overstretched.
US financial measures, including the threat of "toughest Iran sanctions in history," aim to pressure China, Iran's primary trading partner. The UAE has suspended trade and financial relations with Iran following missile launches. Iran's economy is in poor shape, with high unemployment and inflation. Iran's vulnerability stems from its own oil exports being blocked.
The US and global economy are not suffering as severely as Iran, but the strain on oil refining is significant, with margins soaring to $102.2 per barrel for Brent crude. China's response includes cutting back refinery runs and oil product exports. The situation echoes the 1956 Suez Crisis, where US economic threats led to the withdrawal of Britain and France from Egypt.
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- Deadly version of the Battleships game is playing out in Hormuz: Who will win? thenationalnews.com
