Iran adapts as Gulf economies and Asia bear cost of Strait of Hormuz blockade

Iran adapts as Gulf economies and Asia bear cost of Strait of Hormuz blockade Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 13:04 The US blockade was intended to force Tehran into concessions, but instead it is undermining perceptions of American power US Central Command Public Affairs photo showing the US enforcement of a maritime blockade against the Iran-flagged crude oil tanker vessel Herby while the latter was attempting to sail toward Iran, 24 April 2026 (US Navy/AFP) Off At the end of April, US President Donald Trump predicted that Iran was days away from its oil fields and infrastructure "exploding", crediting a US blockade on Iranian port. There is little evidence, however, that Iranian energy infrastructure has exploded, particularly since the country has decades of experience in reducing its oil output. Trump appeared to view the blockade as a silver bullet. “The blockade is genius,” the president told reporters. “Now, they have to cry uncle; that’s all they have to do. Just say, ‘We give up.’” Yet Iran’s institutional memory has already kicked in drawing on past crises. During the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, the country cut oil production from more than five million barrels per day to less than 1.5 million. Similarly, during the first Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” sanctions, Tehran cut its oil output by two million barrels per day. “We have enough expertise and experience,” said Hamid Hosseini, a spokesman for the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Association. “We’re not worried.” By some estimates, Iran has already cut its current output by around 400,000 barrels since the US blockade took effect on 13 April. That contra...

Original source: Middle East Eye