Hormuz: The world’s energy fuse

Off the coast of Fujairah, the scene is not dramatic so much as unsettlingly ordinary: tankers waiting, crews watching, port agents reworking schedules that were meant to be routine. The Strait of Hormuz does not need to be fully “closed” to become a global problem. It only needs to feel unsafe for long enough that insurers raise premiums, shippers hesitate and traders price in panic. When that happens, the shock travels faster than any warship: it reaches supermarket shelves, factory orders and household bills. That is why the current escalation involving the United States and Israel matters far beyond the Gulf. Policy in Washington and Tel Aviv is repeatedly framed as calibrated and limited. Hormuz is the place where that […]