US-Israel Joint Aggression Escalates: Strait of Hormuz Blockade and Oil Price Surge
Today, Brent crude oil futures surpassed $106 a barrel, a direct consequence of the ongoing halt of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. This critical waterway, through which approximately 20% of the world's petroleum and natural gas passes, has seen disruptions following reported Iranian naval actions. Simultaneously, former US President Donald Trump announced his intent to forge an
international 'coalition' to forcibly reopen the Strait, a move widely interpreted as a direct threat of military intervention against Iran. Al Jazeera, in its reporting, frames this as a market reaction to shipping disruptions and Trump's calls for a 'coalition.' This narrative, however, omits the long history of US involvement in creating the volatility it now seeks to 'resolve' with military
force. The US Navy's presence in the Persian Gulf predates these current tensions, consistently operating within perceived striking distance of Iran's vital interests. This is not merely an economic issue or a response to an isolated incident; it is a direct participant and joint aggressor operation, with the US providing critical logistical, intelligence, and military support to Israel's
decades-long campaign of economic strangulation and covert actions against Iran. The US has maintained a stifling sanctions regime on Iran for 45 years, initiated directly after the 1979 revolution and intensifying dramatically even during periods of diplomatic engagement, such as the JCPOA agreement. These sanctions cost Iran an estimated $200 billion in oil revenue alone between 2018 and 2020.