The Wall Street Journal assesses that Iran's calculation in declaring the Strait of Hormuz closure roughly six months ago has failed, according to Abu Ali Express. The analysis argues the US naval blockade now prevents Iranian oil exports through the Persian Gulf, while Washington helps Gulf states maintain significant oil shipments through the strait despite Iranian missile and drone attacks, averting a global price spike and intensifying economic pressure on Tehran.
The Wall Street Journal analysis, reported by Abu Ali Express, concludes that Tehran's gamble on shutting the strategic waterway has backfired. Iran had hoped that seizing roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply would trigger a global economic crisis and force President Trump to end the confrontation on Iranian terms — but the expected shock failed to materialize.
According to the WSJ, the dynamic has now inverted. The US naval blockade in the Persian Gulf prevents Iran from exporting its own oil, while American forces continue to enable Gulf states to move significant volumes through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing Iranian missile and drone attacks. This has kept global oil prices from spiking to crisis levels, even as economic pressure on Iran steadily accumulates.
The assessment arrives amid a prolonged campaign centered on the strait. As The Zioneer has reported, the crisis escalated in June when Iran declared the closure, triggering a surge in oil prices and drawing sustained US military responses. US Central Command intercepted Iranian attack drones threatening commercial shipping on multiple occasions, and American forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk. In July, The Zioneer reported that a Wall Street Journal article cited Gulf officials urging President Trump to consider ground operations and direct control of the strait. By late July, US airstrikes had isolated the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas — Tehran's strategic gateway to the Hormuz — by systematically targeting roads, supply lines, and local defenses.
The WSJ's latest analysis reflects a growing recognition that the strategic initiative has shifted to Washington, with the US effectively containing Iran's ability to disrupt global energy markets while cutting off Tehran's own export revenue. It remains unclear whether the intensified economic pressure will alter the regime's strategic calculus, or how Iran may respond in the near term.
- DevelopingWashington Post: Trump forced to back down on Iran, settle for Hormuz reopening
- DevelopingThe Zioneer analysis: US strikes on Iran not deterring regime, Hormuz blockade continues
- DevelopingWall Street Journal: Iran Declares Permanent Ban on US Warships in Strait of Hormuz
- StrongIranian diplomat to WSJ: US pressure deepens regime rift, hardliners push for Hormuz seizure
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