As a UFC aficionado, President Donald Trump might know what a twister is. It works by cranking the victim’s head one way while controlling his hips in the other. Apparently, the pressure that this places on the spine is agonizing, leading to a rapid tap out or life-altering injuries to the back and neck.

In the Middle East, the President finds himself in a geopolitical twister. On the one hand, Iran’s Memorandum of Understanding terms are too unpalatable for President Trump to swallow – crystalizing as they would an unambiguous defeat, with all the strategic and political consequences that that would entail. On the other, the US Air Force has been unable to suppress or interdict Iran’s missiles and drones.

Every pumping station, junction and steel tube in a regional bypass network would be within range of Iranian missiles and drones

Every pumping station, junction and steel tube in a regional bypass network would be within range of Iranian missiles and drones

Thus, for as long as the US attempts to impose better terms by air attack, Iran can inflict damage on US bases and allies in the region – and more importantly, exact tremendous global economic costs by shutting or controlling passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Even as political opinion formers in the US and broader West have started to accept this painful reality, a consoling narrative is emerging. The story goes that the so-called Hormuz weapon is a “wasting asset.” The very fact Iran has used it means that affected countries will take measures to mitigate its effectiveness in future. Mostly, these measures will take the form of “bypass pipelines.” Indeed, Bloomberg’s energy and commodities columnist Javier Blas has........

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