Cem Gürdeniz shared his assessments regarding the expansion of the scope of the US maritime blockade on Iran in a post on his X account. Gürdeniz argued that this step by Washington does not only target Iran's oil revenues, but is also aimed at suppressing China's energy supply and increasing US military control over regional maritime trade.
In his post, Gürdeniz suggested that the US attack on Iran aims to contain China and serve Israeli geopolitics. However, stating that the political economy of the war complicates calculations for Washington, Gürdeniz noted that the 2026 trade profit of the Chinese state-owned company PetroChina is expected to exceed 3 billion dollars.
The post also drew attention to the new instructions from the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) regarding the implementation of the blockade. According to the assessment relayed by Gürdeniz, ships that have no connection to Iranian ports, are sailing between neutral ports, and are carrying neutral cargo can also be stopped and searched.
In the information note by academic Deniz Güler, which Gürdeniz cited, it was noted that the new practice also brings ships' bills of lading, subsequent port calls, agency relationships, bunker service purchases, and terminal and dock operations under the scope of inspection. The note pointed to the importance of tanker traffic and ship-to-ship transfer networks, particularly between the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
Gürdeniz stated that despite the US rhetoric of "freedom of navigation," it has expanded its authority to interfere with neutral maritime trade, noting that this raises serious questions in terms of maritime law. In his post, Gürdeniz assessed, "Ultimately, while the US is fighting, China is winning, and Washington is trying to compensate for the economic superiority it has lost by militarizing maritime trade through its naval power."
News Source: 12punto
