Gulf states prepare for long-term Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz

Disregard the US, European, Iraqi, and Gulf states’ rejection of Iran’s insistence that it will control the Strait of Hormuz no matter what. The fact of the matter is that Middle Eastern states are factoring in permanent Iranian control into their longer-term thinking about shaping the region’s post-war balance of power and security architecture, even though they may not admit as much publicly. Already, the public US, European, and Gulf state consensus rejecting Iran’s imposition of fees on ships transiting the Strait appears to be fracturing.