The slower the Strait of Hormuz gets, the faster things move in the Gulf

(00:00:00) The slower the Strait of Hormuz gets, the faster things move in the Gulf (00:01:11) Podcast Starts here: Barnacles are growing on ships (00:05:37) Ramifications at the ballot box in November if shipping slows more (00:08:34) Changes in regional dynamics in the last three months (00:11:20) Existential issues for Pakistan--and Israel (00:14:09) The Gulf will be hotter and more crowded than before February 28 While marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has slowed down in the last few months, (Barnacles!) things are moving fast in the Gulf. And these events may be a signal that Pax Americana is ending in the region. In this episode, Gav and Dave dig into the stagnant security environment in the Gulf, where stranded cargo ships collecting barnacles have become a symbol of a region stuck in limbo, with trade still moving but nobody feeling particularly good about it. This week’s conversation connects maritime insecurity and rising shipping costs to the growing role of Pakistan as a formal military partner for Gulf states that is trying to convince parties outside the region that it’s a neutral third-party mediator.Dave and Gav also get into why negotiations keep going nowhere, talking on how the major players all want wildly differing outcomes and operate under political systems that reward displays of dominance and over the top claims more than compromise, leaving the region trapped in a crisis everyone claims to want resolved and nobody seems to want to settle.If you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend, like, comment, and leave us a quick 1 word review. We sincerely appreciate it!All the best from both of us On the Fringe,Dave and Gav