The spectre of naval mines and Iranian speedboats targeting oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, with the United States caught in the crossfire, evokes a chilling echo of a past conflict. This isn't the current, fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US, but rather the "Tanker War" of the 1980s.
During Iran's war with Iraq, Tehran targeted shipping, prompting US warships to escort Kuwaiti tankers, ensuring crude oil flow to global markets. Today, with 20% of the world's traded oil and natural gas typically transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a similar, more aggressive US posture to protect vessels could be considered. President Donald Trump recently ordered the military to "shoot and kill" small Iranian boats.
