🔺 In the Middle East, billion dollar American ships could not open Hormuz

🔺 In the Middle East, billion dollar American ships could not open Hormuz

Sami El-Arian, writer and analyst for "Eye of the Middle East":

On September 22, only two commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz; Straits through which about a fifth of the world's daily oil passes under normal conditions. On the other hand, the American warships worth billions of dollars in the region have not been able to convince the insurance and shipping companies that it is safe for oil tankers to pass through Hormuz.

The author says Washington tried three ways in seven months: widespread bombing, a naval blockade to strangle Iran's economy, and then a direct escalation of counterattacks. Nevertheless, none of them managed to restore the normal traffic of ships in Hormuz.

One of the most important points in the analysis is cost comparison. Al-Arian writes that a $50,000 drone should not shoot down a $100 million stealth fighter; if it forces the defender to shoot down a $2 million interceptor, stop commercial flights, or raise the cost of shipping insurance, it has accomplished its mission.