The Strait of Hormuz has long been described as the world’s most important energy chokepoint. It has now become far more dangerous: the focal point of an escalating contest over who can dictate the rules of international commerce. The death of an Indian seafarer and injuries to six other Indians aboard a UAE tanker underline that the costs of this confrontation are no longer confined to military calculations. Civilians who keep global trade moving are increasingly paying with their lives.

The latest exchange has pushed the conflict into uncharted waters. Iran has demonstrated that it is prepared to target commercial shipping it considers hostile or non-compliant, while the United States has answered with renewed military strikes and the restoration of its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Washington briefly proposed imposing a 20 per cent charge on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz before withdrawing the idea within hours amid criticism and consultations with regional partners. The swift reversal underscores how even the world’s foremost military power cannot reshape the rules governing one of the busiest international waterways without encountering  political, legal and diplomatic resistance.

This proposal........

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