“A familiar tactic” used by the Americans in the Iran-Iraq war, now circulated to unblock the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz, in peacetime one of the main routes for world oil trade, is virtually closed due to Iran's response to the attacks initiated by the US and Israel against it, and CNN wrote that in the current context a familiar idea is resurfacing: registering oil tankers under the flag of another country to ensure passage and maintain the flow of crude oil.
One proposal is discussing whether oil tankers could cross the strait under the Pakistani flag, potentially allowing them to benefit from some form of transit protection or even a green light from Iran.
Until the operation launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was the passage through which about a fifth of the global supply of oil and natural gas passed. In addition, it was the route traveled by most of the food shipments that the Persian Gulf countries imported.
Model similar to “Tanker War”
Such a “familiar tactic,” as CNN described it, is not without precedent. One such situation occurred during the Iran-Iraq conflict in the 1980s, known as the “Tanker War,” in which both sides targeted each other's oil shipments to cripple each other's economies. Iraq attacked Iranian exports, while Iran responded by hitting ships, many of them associated with Kuwait.
In these conditions, Kuwait requested external protection. Thus, in 1987, Washington launched Operation Earnest Will, a program through which Kuwaiti oil tankers received the American flag and sailed under the protection of the US naval forces.
In the operation, US warships escorted convoys through the Gulf, while allied navies mine the area, patrol shipping lanes and monitor traffic. In some cases, even neutral ships benefited from American protection.
CNN also noted that while a similar model is currently being floated, there are some key differences. In the “Tanker War”, Iran was trying to pressure its opponents without triggering a full-scale confrontation with the US, while now it already finds itself engaged in a direct and existential conflict with Washington.
