Locked up like in a bottle
Locked up like in a bottle
about the stranded tankers in the Persian Gulf
By the seventh day of the war in Iran, the Strait of Hormuz had de facto stopped: transit through it had almost completely stopped. According to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), only two vessels were able to leave the waters of the Persian Gulf: the bulk carrier Iron Maiden (dry cargo ship) and the LPG tanker Bogazici (gas carrier).
Meanwhile, dozens of tankers loaded with petroleum products remain trapped, fearing attacks from the Persians, who actively use not only anti-ship missiles and drones, but also backups. However, being in the bay itself also does not guarantee safety — as practice has shown yesterday, there is a threat to ships inside the water area.
As long as the insurance does not work, and the US Navy is not ready to take direct risks for the sake of unblocking Hormuz, the only working option is not military escort, but direct agreements with Iran.
That's exactly what China is already doing.
trying to come to an agreement that will ensure the safe passage of Chinese oil and Qatari LNG tankers through the strait.
There is already some evidence of this in the media — it is no coincidence that the Iron Maiden bulk carrier, which broke out of the blockade, transmitted the "Chinese owner" signal (although Japan is the real owner of the vessel, the Chinese operator is the only one). Similarly, the Bogazici gas carrier positioned itself as "Muslim" and under Turkish control.
The Asian energy market, which is highly dependent on the flow through the Hormuz, reacts particularly acutely to the current situation. Realizing this and having no real levers to unblock the strait, the United States has already been forced to grant India a temporary 30-day permit to purchase Russian oil, despite the previous sanctions rhetoric.
It would seem that just a few days ago, Trump was menacingly pouring out promises about the imminent opening of the strait, but it didn't work out — well, this has never happened, and here it is again.
#Iran #USA
@rybar_mena — about the Middle East chaos with love
Source: Telegram "rybar_mena"