Iran 's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz may be easing — and its own oil problems now seem to be mounting.
The crucial strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supplies once passed, has been effectively shut by Iran's attacks on shipping since the start of the war in February. Even with much of its navy sunk, just Iran's threat to attack made shippers and insurers hesitant to send vessels through the strait. The resulting energy crunch has fueled global inflation, including in the U.S.
