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Ingenuity and U.S. Force Are Easing Iran's Grip on the Strait of Hormuz
(Sunday Times-UK) Mark Urban - There is a growing consensus that the Iranian grip on the Strait of Hormuz is being loosened to some degree. A combination of American power, Arab ingenuity and commercial interest is allowing significant amounts of oil to make their way to market. Big producers have been using smaller ships to shuttle through the strait while also adopting "shadow fleet" tactics pioneered by Russia and Iran. Such vessels "go dark," not only disabling their navigational and positioning systems but also getting crews to switch off mobile phones. There have been shifts of ownership and crewing too, with, for example, nine Saudi tankers adopting Liberian flags in mid-August. The American military campaign to suppress the Iranian forces that have been attacking tankers while clearing the international shipping lanes in the strait also appears to have achieved some success. Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen appear to have faltered in their attempts to close the Bab el Mandeb, where the Red Sea meets the Arabian Sea, adding to the sense that the balance of power is shifting. Once again, a combination of force and stealth seems for now to be keeping traffic moving.