Post #5614

Hormuz for Show, Russian Oil for Real Washington says it is policing the Gulf. In practice, it is policing Iran and cushioning Russia. After the Pakistan talks failed, Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade targeting ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, while allowing traffic to other Gulf ports to keep moving through Hormuz. So this is not a full shutdown of the strait. It is a selective squeeze. Trump said any ship that pays Iran an “illegal toll” should not expect safe passage. Oil markets heard the point immediately. U.S. crude jumped about 8% to $104.24, while Brent rose about 7% to $102.29. Shipping through the Gulf now comes with a war premium. Now the useful hypocrisy. The U.S. waiver allowing purchases of some Russian oil loaded by March 12 ran through midnight Washington time on April 11. Reuters reported on April 10 that the administration was likely to extend it, because higher fuel prices were becoming a political problem at home. Kyiv Independent went further and said Russia’s daily oil export revenues had doubled after the war with Iran began. Whether that exact figure holds or not, the direction is obvious enough: the Hormuz shock lifted prices, and Washington had little appetite for pulling Russian barrels off the market at the same time. So Tehran gets threats. Moscow gets flexibility. The White House talks like a navy and prices like a gas station. Sanctions expire on paper, then survive in practice when the pump starts mattering more than the doctrine. #Hormuz#Iran#Russia#Trump#oil#sanctions#geopolitics 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸