The Week: Joe Kent’s Resignation on (Bad) Principle

• Maybe there’s a reason they don’t call it the Straights of Hormuz.

• President Donald Trump seems satisfied with the course of the war against Iran, but few seem to share his confidence. Sporadic though Iranian attacks on Gulf shipping may be, the Strait of Hormuz remains too hazardous for any vessel not bound for an Iranian ally. Energy markets are spiking; constrained trade of other commodities, such as fertilizers, could contribute to higher food costs. Combined with Iranian attacks on energy-producing facilities across the Gulf region, the Islamic Republic’s plan to spread the pain of this war around seems to be working. But Gulf states are not backing down. The United Arab Emirates and some others “have come to view Iran’s theocracy as an existential enemy,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command announced that it had used massive penetrating bombs to destroy a bunker that housed Iran’s fearsome anti-ship missiles along the coast, whereas U.S. strikes have eliminated most of Iran’s warships and its naval mine-laying vessels. Iran can’t keep this up forever. The United States and Israel have much more room to run.

About the Author

NR Editors

NR Editors includes members of the editorial staff of our magazine and website.

• Maybe there’s a reason they don’t call it the Straights of Hormuz.

• President Donald Trump seems satisfied with the course of the war against Iran, but few seem to share his confidence. Sporadic though Iranian attacks on Gulf shipping may be, the Strait of Hormuz remains too hazardous for any vessel not bound for an Iranian ally. Energy markets are spiking; constrained trade of other commodities, such as fertilizers, could contribute to higher food costs. Combined with Iranian attacks on energy-producing facilities across the Gulf region, the Islamic Republic’s plan to spread the pain of this war around seems to be working. But Gulf states are not backing down. The United Arab Emirates and some others “have come to view Iran’s theocracy as an existential enemy,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command announced that it had used massive penetrating bombs to destroy a bunker that housed Iran’s fearsome anti-ship missiles along the coast, whereas U.S. strikes have eliminated most of Iran’s warships and its naval mine-laying vessels. Iran can’t keep this up forever. The United States and Israel have much more room to run.