Shortly after the eruption of the war in Iran last winter, the Iranian regime closed the Strait of Hormuz to virtually all commercial shipping. The selective closure of this international waterway excluded allies like China and Pakistan, but affected the global economy harshly.

Oil and liquified natural gas prices soared, increasing the cost of living across the board and driving U.S. President Donald Trump to call for an end to the war.

In the process, Iran discovered that its ability to disrupt traffic in the strait, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas passes, was a form of critical leverage that worked to its advantage in its confrontation with the United States

Today, Trump is so focused on the strait that he has temporarily shelved issues that triggered the war in the first place – namely Iran’s weaponized nuclear program, its support of regional allies like Hezbollah and Hamas within the Axis of Resistance, and its stockpile of long-range ballistic missiles.

The strait has emerged as a major postwar issue due to one compelling factor. Since the cessation of hostilities, Iranian spokesmen from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on down have made it clear that Iran intends to be the central authority in managing the strait and charging tolls for the safe passage of ships.

The imposition of tolls was once unthinkable, since the principles that govern shipping are underpinned by the concept that global chokepoints should remain free to navigate.

Iranian leaders categorically reject this tenet. If they succeed in imposing their will, they will be able to claim that Iran has emerged from the war with a great strategic victory over much stronger........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)