Key China-Iran infrastructure exposes critical hole in Trump’s war strategy

Military spokesman links maritime control to stronger global bargaining power

Very large crude carrier (VLCC) Eneos Endeavor, managed by Japanese refining group ‌Eneos (5020.T) , opens new tab and carrying 1.2 million barrels of Kuwait crude and 700,000 barrels of Emirati Das Blend oil, exited the strait as of May 14.

A growing maritime traffic jam inside the Strait of Hormuz is emerging as one of the biggest threats to global energy and commodity supply chains, with nearly 360 loaded cargo vessels currently stranded inside the Gulf.

IRGC-linked media have called on Tehran to impose fees on submarine cables through the Strait of Hormuz and monitor global data traffic, citing claimed sovereignty over the waterway.