It wasn’t really a huge toll. It was 1 dollar a barrel, a ship carrying a million barells worth 100 million dollars of oil would pay 1 million. That is a 1% tax which isn’t that big unless you are an oil company that is used to paying nothing or getting a subsidy.
I’m waiting for Iran to let through European bound vessels for free to set Trump up to order strikes on Spanish or British ships.
Start up a whole new front where NATO kicks the USA out and blockades the USA from international trade.
well, you’re right that the oil companies shipping the oil can easily pay the price, but that doesn’t mean they won’t still pass the cost on, even if they are getting subsidies. and the average ship carries around 2 million barrels. sure, some carry less, and the big ones can carry up to ~ 4 million, but the point is that the costs will be passed on to the customer either way.
not to mention the massive backlog which already exists. even if they opened up the strait right now, to full capacity, it could take months to clear the backlog. and with those waiting to go through in line running out of (or already completely out of) supplies, some starving, this gets even more desperate. and stupid.
but “no oil at all” is what we’ve got. and it’s what we’ve had since this stupid war began, and it’s what we’ll have until it ends.
and, frankly, I see the most likely scenario being that Trump fucked anyone out of any long-term position of being able to charge tolls, but, short-term, Iran will use it to negotiate for something else that it wants. something big. Like getting Israel to stop bombing Lebanon.
I’m confused by why everyone sees this as stupid. It seems like an obvious eventuality. Why would Trump allow Iran to use the strait? Leaving it open to Iranian interests only benefits Iran.
because it only escalates the conflict further while possibly dragging in other major actors like china and India when what both sides need now (not to mention the global economy) is a negotiated peace.
edit: the consequences so far have already been terrible, and the longer this conflict goes on, the worse it will get for literally everyone.
I mean for however smart Iran had been playing things, their ceasefire conditions were not made to end the conflict. I mean there is global opposition to a toll on the strait.
Not to mention that this blockade stance is at least not diplomacy through bombs.
Not to mention that this blockade stance is at least not diplomacy through bombs.
it sure is when Trump threatens to blow up anyone who opposes his blockade. it’s just bombs through different means. and Iran is smart enough that they hold all the cards here-- Trump called the blockade illegal and the charging of tolls illegal (both true, technically), then proceeds to demand a share of the tolls and blockades the strait himself. Both of these are obviously non-starter positions which he has repeatedly, himself, very loudly called illegal, placing him in no position to use them as negotiating positions and making him look like both a hypocritical ass and an idiot. well, ya know, more.
this puts Iran ahead, again whenever they start negotiations again, and, until then, now they have a bunch of US navy warships to shoot at in the strait, just sitting there, that weren’t there before, in range of their missiles and drones. boom.
add this to a long list of Trump strategic missteps and losses so far, and this weakens Trump’s and the US’s position even further
well, Iran was letting a few ships through under strict circumstances, especially if they paid a huge toll. Trump is creating a total blockade.
still stupid, but there is a difference.
It wasn’t really a huge toll. It was 1 dollar a barrel, a ship carrying a million barells worth 100 million dollars of oil would pay 1 million. That is a 1% tax which isn’t that big unless you are an oil company that is used to paying nothing or getting a subsidy.
I’m waiting for Iran to let through European bound vessels for free to set Trump up to order strikes on Spanish or British ships.
Start up a whole new front where NATO kicks the USA out and blockades the USA from international trade.
well, you’re right that the oil companies shipping the oil can easily pay the price, but that doesn’t mean they won’t still pass the cost on, even if they are getting subsidies. and the average ship carries around 2 million barrels. sure, some carry less, and the big ones can carry up to ~ 4 million, but the point is that the costs will be passed on to the customer either way.
not to mention the massive backlog which already exists. even if they opened up the strait right now, to full capacity, it could take months to clear the backlog. and with those waiting to go through in line running out of (or already completely out of) supplies, some starving, this gets even more desperate. and stupid.
and don’t even get me started on NATO
Would you rather by oil for $60 + $1 toll, or for $150? Either one gets passed on to customers.
I’d rather have neither, and the strait controlled by the UN, like before Trump fucked everything up with this idiotic and unnecessary war
Well I want a pony that builds drones and shits money.
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
tolls that get passed on to customers isn’t “good” for anyone but the toll-collector and, potentially, the embezzling oil company
If the alternative is no oil at all, yes they are. 1% tolls are bloody great. Give me 1% tolls.
but “no oil at all” is what we’ve got. and it’s what we’ve had since this stupid war began, and it’s what we’ll have until it ends.
and, frankly, I see the most likely scenario being that Trump fucked anyone out of any long-term position of being able to charge tolls, but, short-term, Iran will use it to negotiate for something else that it wants. something big. Like getting Israel to stop bombing Lebanon.
I’m confused by why everyone sees this as stupid. It seems like an obvious eventuality. Why would Trump allow Iran to use the strait? Leaving it open to Iranian interests only benefits Iran.
Because if he blockades Chinese oil ships, as he would need to to actually blockade the Strait, he’s declaring war on China.
because it only escalates the conflict further while possibly dragging in other major actors like china and India when what both sides need now (not to mention the global economy) is a negotiated peace.
edit: the consequences so far have already been terrible, and the longer this conflict goes on, the worse it will get for literally everyone.
I mean for however smart Iran had been playing things, their ceasefire conditions were not made to end the conflict. I mean there is global opposition to a toll on the strait.
Not to mention that this blockade stance is at least not diplomacy through bombs.
A blockade is diplomacy through bombs though, how do you think a blockade is enforced?
it sure is when Trump threatens to blow up anyone who opposes his blockade. it’s just bombs through different means. and Iran is smart enough that they hold all the cards here-- Trump called the blockade illegal and the charging of tolls illegal (both true, technically), then proceeds to demand a share of the tolls and blockades the strait himself. Both of these are obviously non-starter positions which he has repeatedly, himself, very loudly called illegal, placing him in no position to use them as negotiating positions and making him look like both a hypocritical ass and an idiot. well, ya know, more.
this puts Iran ahead, again whenever they start negotiations again, and, until then, now they have a bunch of US navy warships to shoot at in the strait, just sitting there, that weren’t there before, in range of their missiles and drones. boom.
add this to a long list of Trump strategic missteps and losses so far, and this weakens Trump’s and the US’s position even further