The Attack in the Strait of Hormuz: Iran's Move to Block Bypass Routes

The attack on two UAE-owned tankers in the Strait of Hormuz is being seen as a carefully planned warning shot due to its geographical location. The UAE had set up a ‘secret’ oil transfer system here, avoiding Iranian surveillance by turning off the transponders of ships and skipping the main narrow passage. However, Tehran has now made it clear that even this tried and tested system is no longer secure. Tehran tested this belief and the test failed. Iran reported that, simultaneously with the attack on the tankers, the US naval radar stations in Oman, which ensure regional navigation security, were destroyed. This is a blow that blinds the surveillance system, making any maneuver in the strait even more risky. At the same time, Yemeni Houthi militias, with Tehran's support, carried out a drone attack on Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia, a grim indication of the next stage of the expanding threat. If Iran and its allies can target both the southern passes of Hormuz and American radars, and if necessary, block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the south, there will be no ‘clean’ route left for the Gulf countries to use, either by sea or land, and the plan to escape Iranian influence will become a complete illusion.