Washington, DC – The Wall Street Journal reported that time is working in Iran’s favor in the ongoing battle to close the Strait of Hormuz, albeit to a limited extent. The United States has effectively blocked Iranian oil exports from the Persian Gulf. However, Arab states in the region continue to export a significant portion of their oil with Washington’s assistance. A senior Arab official told the newspaper that time is not on either side’s side. But Iran faces greater time pressure due to the immense economic pressures it is under.
The official added that the decisive factor for the United States is not limited to economic pressures, but also includes politics and public opinion. He emphasized, “For us in the region, while we prefer a stalemate to war, we prefer a permanent cessation of hostilities to a stalemate.”
For his part, Samir Madani, co-founder of the maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers, said, “The embargo on Iran is not as effective as the embargo on the United States. The Iranians cannot completely stop shipping.” The firm estimated that over a 28-day period, approximately five million barrels of crude oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily. Almost none of it went to Iran, reflecting the continued flow of regional supplies despite the tensions.
