![\"Hostages](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/16e6289d41d383b2d0a269237e1b7dd2_2026-03-02T171728Z_656805761_RC2BWJA9HHZD_RTRMADP_3_IRAN-CRISIS-OMAN-HORMUZ-1-320x200.jpg\")
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Birds fly near a boat in the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Musandam, Oman, Monday. [REUTERS]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
The confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz is like a hostage situation in which neither side cares about the fate of the hostages. To put it another way, seeing as the leaders of America and Iran proclaim themselves People of the Book, it is as if the wise King Solomon proposed dismembering a child over which two women were fighting, each claiming to be the mother, and instead of one preferring to let the child live rather than being given a piece of it, both took part in its slaughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As things stand, the United States got into a war with Iran without considering that Tehran would close the strait and so deprive the rest of the world of crucial supplies of energy, fertilizer, chemicals, and so on. Iran\u2019s leadership \u2013 or what\u2019s left of it after the US-Israeli attacks \u2013 knows that it cannot trust its enemies, and it has proven, time and again, that it does not care for the fate of its compatriots. It has nothing to lose by being intransigent. Donald Trump, for his part, declares that the United States doesn\u2019t need the Persian Gulf region for energy (disregarding how interrelated everything is in the global economy, affecting prices in his country, too), so he responded to Iran\u2019s blockade of the strait by doubling down, imposing his own blockade. Now Trump can\u2019t back down without it appearing that Tehran is humiliating him, and Iran\u2019s leaders have no reason to back down themselves, as they have already factored in their death and have nothing more to fear. The question is, what will make either side feel enough pain \u2013 or fear \u2013 to make it seek an offramp.<\/p>\n
For the United States, the top priority is whether Trump will be able to declare victory; for the Iranian regime it is survival. And so, Tehran mocks the American president, and he responds with threats of even harsher attacks. Price rises and shortages of crucial commodities should concern Trump more, seeing as they affect not only the global economy but will have serious impact in November\u2019s congressional elections. But these concerns pale before concern for his image. For Iran, too, high prices and shortages are important, however, after 47 years of embargoes, the country\u2019s resilience is proven \u2013 and, anyhow, the regime is not accountable to the voters. An important factor in how things will play out is how the protagonists\u2019 allies will react, as they are directly hurt by the strait\u2019s double blockade. European countries are already criticizing the United States and are working on solutions, both for shipping in the strait and to support their citizens and producers. The Gulf countries are looking to shape a new security architecture for the region after the war. China, which gets much of its oil from Iran, has not showed its cards yet. But, in two or three months, when supplies that are already headed that way are exhausted, Beijing\u2019s reaction is likely to be forceful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It appears that as Trump and the Iranian regime set their own priorities above the well-being of the global economy, it is up to other countries to press for a solution to the problem. The hostages must save themselves. In short, things will get a lot worse before there is any sign of improvement. And the world will look a lot different afterward.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n