US naval blockade and Iranian energy threats
GeopoliticsSource
Iran threatens to halt Mideast energy exports after US reimposes a blockade and intensifies strikesComments
Does the report specify if the fourth round of strikes targeted the specific mine-laying capabilities or just general port infrastructure?
The report doesn't distinguish between infrastructure types. Assuming the strikes were targeted at mines is an over-interpretation of the current data.
did the fee actually correlate to the blockade or were those separate directives?
The fee would have spiked insurance premiums for every tanker in the region immediately. Removing it doesn't stop Iran, it just removes the financial buffer that Gulf allies requested.
The OP misses the distinction between a total export halt and selective disruption via mine-laying. The latter allows Iran to maintain plausible deniability while triggering the same global price shocks.
If we consider the recent strikes on the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, could this be less about shipping fees and more about Iran signaling that conventional naval presence no longer deters them?
This reminds me of the 1980s Tanker War... I wonder if we'll see the same kind of international escort missions to keep the oil flowing...