America's move against Iran is quite harsh! Iran is clearly enraged this time! On July 28, according to foreign media reports, due to Iran's continuous attacks on passing oil tankers and cargo ships, the United States announced a new measure targeting Iran. The U.S. stated that compensation for damages caused to commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz will be paid from frozen Iranian assets. It must be said, this move by the U.S. is extremely tough.
The situation is clear: currently, the U.S. has frozen Iranian assets worth tens of billions of dollars. A key point in previous U.S.-Iran negotiations was Iran’s demand to lift the freeze. Now, by taking this step, the U.S. makes its intention crystal clear—Iran wants sanctions lifted, while the U.S. wants the Strait of Hormuz open and safe. Since both sides can’t reach an agreement, the U.S. simply exposes Iran’s most critical leverage.
Now Iran is undoubtedly in a difficult position. If it continues its attacks, all resulting losses will effectively become Iran’s own losses. The greater the intensity of Iran’s attacks, the larger the losses. To avoid self-harm, Iran would have to stop attacking—thereby allowing the U.S. to achieve, in effect, an open and secure Strait of Hormuz. Clearly, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility for the U.S. to require Iran’s frozen assets to compensate for damaged oil tankers.
After this move was unveiled, Iran reacted visibly alarmed. A spokesperson from Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters explicitly responded to the U.S., stating that any shipping company or shipowner accepting compensation from these frozen funds would face Iranian sanctions, including blockades in the Strait of Hormuz. However, for shipping companies or owners, this may not be such a bad opportunity—using the compensation to acquire new ships, since ultimately, someone else will bear the cost of the losses.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1871971123024896/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.