File image of the Strait of Hormuz
EA on International Outlets: After the US-Iran Talks in Islamabad
US-Israel War on Iran, Day 52: Tehran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz
UPDATE, APRIL 21:
I joined the Irish Independent’s Indo Daily podcast on Monday morning to evaluate the state of the US-Israel War on Iran, the uncertainty over a second set of US-Iran talks, and the contest for the Strait of Hormuz between Tehran’s control and the US blockade of Iranian ports.
Along the way I deal with Donald Trump’s swings from declaring good relations with Iran to threatening war crimes with the death of Iranian civilization.
Returning to airstrikes does not force regime surrender. The regime has taken American punches for close to eight weeks. Their leaders have been killed, their officials and commanders have been assassinated, they have taken a lot of damage, but still they are there.
So the Trump folks have two options: go into talks with the Iranians or put in ground troops. The blockade does not get them out of that jam.
The other guest is Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramirez.
Listen from 3:36:
UPDATE, APRIL 20:
I spoke with India’s NDTV on Monday morning about the US interception of an Iran-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, and the wider issues of Tehran’s control of the Strait and the American blockade.
Will this prevent the second set of US-Iran talks, scheduled for Tuesday in Islamabad, Pakistan?
One question is, “How far can the Americans go in seizing Iranian ships?”
But the other part of the story is being lost. Are ships from non-Iranian ports also unable to get out of the Strait?
It’s not enough to blockade Iranian ports. You have to be able to escort other ships to ease the pressure on energy markets.
Watch from 5:06:
UPDATE 2149 GMT:
I chatted with India’s WION on Sunday afternoon about the US-Israel War, Tehran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the prospect of a second set of Iran-US talks in Islamabad.
It’s always good to cut through the “white noise”, such as this latest tweet from Donald Trump, to establish where we are positioned.
Beyond the bluster, the Americans have two choices: continue the talks or use ground troops in an invasion.
Watch from 3:23:
ORIGINAL ENTRY: I joined Poland’s TVP World on Saturday night to analyze how, despite and because of the US-Israel War, Iran is tightening its control of the Strait of Hormuz.
I explain how Tehran restricted the movement of shipping in the vital waterway even though its Navy was decimated, the effect on energy markets, and the Iranian ambition to oversee a toll system.
I look at the American side of the story with the Trump camp imposing its blockade of Iranian ports and an angry Donald Trump resorting to lies about the situation.
