Hegseth says Iran blockade “going global,” as US announces new sanctions on Chinese shipping
Posted by DryDeer775@reddit | EndlessWar | View on Reddit | 5 comments
The United States is expanding its naval blockade of Iran into a global operation against shipping in any ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday. Hours earlier the Treasury Department sanctioned a major Chinese oil refinery and 40 shipping companies for buying Iranian crude.
Romek_himself@reddit
cant the world come together and put sanctions on USA?
ttystikk@reddit
YES and I believe this is coming. Keep in mind that the US is still the leader of the "Western Imperial Blob" (h/t to Caitlin Johnstone) and until that group breaks up the US will not be economically isolated.
This may not be long in coming however, because the US is behaving very badly towards its erstwhile allies and they're getting increasingly fed up with it.
Involution88@reddit
Make it make sense. Please.
The US empire is a maritime empire.
The petrodollar is a cornerstone of US global power. US global power depends on countries using the dollar as a global reserve currency. Something which depends on the US ensuring freedom of navigation for shipping. By having the hugest Navy there is. Like the Spanish and British empires which preceded the pax Americana.
US foreign policy has been focused on ensuring freedom of navigation for the last 80 something years. Even before then the US fought against the Barbary corsairs to ensure freedom of navigation.
Now the US seems to believe it's a continental empire, like the Russian empire, for some reason. I fail to understand. The US is behaving in a manner which undermines maritime empires (the US itself) and which bolsters continental empires instead.
ZhukovWonWWII@reddit
It is because the US has fallen too far behind in the weapons race and thinks it is safe for now protected by oceans on both sides.
Only country that can easily reach out and touch the US is Russia. Hence US becoming more and more terrified of Russia as Russian weapon capabilities are demonstrated for the whole world to see.
When a tanker was traveling to Cuba to bring fuel the US attacked the tanker because even though it was carrying Russian oil it was registered to a third country. So then Russia sent a tanker registered to a Russian entity and the US chickened out from touching it.
Also Russian shipping was threatened in the English channel by the UK so Russia sent in navy escorts with the ships and forced the UK to stand down.
Now in Hormuz strait the Iranians announced that Russian shipping is exempt from intercept and transit fees. This was done intentionally by Iran to mock US navy impotence who's destroyers had to flee from the straight when they attempted to sneak in during the ''ceasefire''.
And with the Red Sea closing by Yemen this means US has to try to lash out more by pretending that it can still influence events.
China's critical trade with Russia is overland and Iran's critical trade with Russia is via Caspian Sea. Both places where US navy cannot do anything. So what Hegseth is doing can be summed up as impotent posturing. It is the equivalent of beating someone at a board game and they refuse to admit it, instead they yell that they are more athletic than you and can beat you at basketball or are better at skiing except it is summer time and there is no basketball hoop in your neighborhood so it is all a moot point.
kronstadt-sailor@reddit
it's a mystery.