By Karine Keyser —
The math of Iran’s asymmetric warfare — delivering low blows because they’re militarily outmatched — is playing into an economic war, choking the Strait of Hormuz (AND the Bab al-Mandab Strait through their proxies the Houthis). So far, the barrel of oil has jumped 50% to $110.
By halting 20% of the world’s oil exports on both sides of Saudi Arabia, Iran could rattle America‘s resolve to carry through its difficult objective of extracting or destroying the half ton of near-weapons grade enriched uranium that survived the June attacks and is somewhere in Iran.
This masterclass move by Iran doesn’t leave the United States and Israel without options. Trump is threatening a tit-for-tat that could finally hobble the hated regime that most Iranians want out: attacks on their energy grid. You threaten the world’s energy, we threaten yours.
For its part, Israel opened up an Air Force base right across from Yemen in newly minted Somaliland from which to launch quick strikes against Western Yemen where the Shi’ite terrorists are based.
The Houthis declared their joining the war on the side with their sponsors, Iran, on Saturday — the same day the USS Gerald Ford docked in Croatia for repairs after a fire broke out on the aircraft carrier on March. 12.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent laughed off the Houthis threat yesterday, though reportedly their missile came within 200 meters of hitting the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2024 when the U.S. was bombing Yemen for attacking 100+ cargo ships (they sank four) in the Red Sea in support of Hamas.
“(I’m) not as much” concerned about the Houthis, Bessent said yesterday. “The Houthis have been very quiet so far.”
Trump bombed the Houthis for weeks in 2024, and after expending about $1B in munitions, he relented with some sort of stalemate agreement that the Houthis would stop attacking U.S. ships.
The Houthis created a major headache for the world at that time, so it’s worrisome that they would join the recent outbreak of hostilities. But they have a weak point: the Port of Hudaydah. About 75% of their food comes in through that port. If they were to enter the conflagration, an air blitz on the port could starve them into submission.
For strategic analyst Moshe Ashkenazi, the control of the Strait of Hormuz will be the end of the Iranian Regime. The nation has been hobbled militarily. It’s ace card is controlling the strait. While they’re making weak nations say “uncle” by restricting oil flow, they can be countered on the same issue. Their only income is oil, and 90% of their oil flows out of Kharg Island.
Occupy Kharg Island with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and it’s game over for Iran. No more oil export, no more income, no more control of the Strait of Hormuz.
For years and years and years, nations have been cowed by the Evil Iranian Regime. When Iran killed 241 servicemen in Lebanon in 1983, when it killed 603 during the Iraq war, when it scores of others through the years, president after president just sucked up and swallowed the bitter pill — in fear of an oil crisis.
But when Iran was within reach of making a nuclear weapon, Trump finally put an end to their nefarious scheme. The U.S. manned up and has to take on the issue that no predecessor was ever willing to take on.
Pundits jokingly have renamed the Strait of Hormuz now the Strait of Trump.
Trump has given the Iranians until April 6 to make a no-nuke deal and get out easy from the shellacking.
Sources: Tousi T.V., Fox News, JNS, others
