How Trump’s Middle East war could hit home

A disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could leave Australia facing fuel shortages within weeks and reveal how fragile our energy security has become, writes Dr Norm Sanders.

YANKS are bleating because gas (gasoline) prices are up 27 percent since President Donald Trump launched a war against the rest of the world.

CNN, ABC, MS NOW and the rest of the US media don’t say a word about what will happen to us in Australia. In fact, Trump’s war is about to deal a major blow to our economy and our entire way of life.

With the war halting crude oil shipments, the Australian Government will almost certainly have to start rationing. Coal mining and agriculture will be given priority. Coal mining is exempt due to the obligation to fuel power plants.

Situation deteriorates rapidly as China warns refiners stop all fuel exports customs had not yet been cleared. This will have a flow-on effect on jet fuel supplies in Australia as China supplies a third of our supply.

Australian sources in general 90 percent It procures gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from refineries abroad. This includes Singapore, Korea, Japan and China, which depend on crude oil from the Middle East via the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for close to a quarter of the world’s supply transit.

However, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed for weeks. Donald J Trump capped this off with his war of choice against Iran. The Bosphorus is what political scientists call the “choke point”. It is 39 kilometers wide and generally quite shallow, with its deepest point near the southwestern coast. This is the location of two shipping lanes that are 3 kilometers wide in both directions. It borders Iran to the north, Oman oil producers and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the south.

What prevents tankers from passing through the Bosphorus is the threat of Iranian attack. Iranians seek revenge after Supreme Leader Ayatollah’s death Ali Khameneidaughter, son-in-law and daughter-in-law in a bomb attack. His son, the new Religious Leader, Mojtaba Khameneiit was reported having lost part of the leg.

The Iranians are equipped to inflict great economic pain in the form of mines to control the Strait of Hormuz. Some float on the surface. Some rest on the sea floor. All of this could further complicate efforts to restart shipping in the Persian Gulf. According to Iranian estimates, Iran has more than 5,000 naval mines in its arsenal. Defense Intelligence Agency. And Iran begins deploy themUS officials said.

The geography of the strait and the surrounding waters work to Iran’s advantage. The long southern coastline offers ample opportunity for small boats to set out with mines. Narrow shipping lanes leave little room to navigate. The water at the narrowest point of the strait is only 60 meters deep, shallow enough to lay a minefield. It would be very expensive and dangerous for the US Navy to possibly have to conduct an operation. mine-clearing operation that lasted for weeks In the Strait of Hormuz, according to military officials.

The most common mines are anchored to the bottom and contain explosives with an air gap above them to provide buoyancy. The thick outward-facing horns contain devices that cause the mine to explode on contact with the ship’s hull.

During the Cold War “bottom mines” have become even more common. They contain much higher amounts of explosives than anchored mines and are found on the seafloor. These mines use a combination of magnetic, acoustic, pressure and seismic sensors to determine when a ship is nearby. They then explode with a force of hundreds of pounds, sending a large bubble of gas towards the target ship.

There is also Iran sea snail mines — small explosives placed by swimmers or divers to disable an anchored ship, usually by targeting underwater propulsion and steering gear. They usually explode after a predetermined time. Mines may not sink the ship immediately. Tankers are designed to be resistant to hull damage. The tanker’s watertight lower section helps maintain buoyancy in the event of damage to the hull. However, the tanker will not be able to deliver its crude oil.

Although laying minefields can be done quickly, clearing them is a laborious process. This is an almost impossible task when under fire. To find mines, clearing crews can deploy a remote vehicle equipped with sonar to survey the water in a back-and-forth pattern. Once mines are found, they can be destroyed by sending explosive devices or divers to neutralize them.

Reopening the Strait of Hormuz will not require the removal of all mines. Clearing teams can find paths in the minefield wide enough for ships to pass safely and mark these channels with buoys. Once trade is restored, clearance teams can expand their search to find and destroy any remaining minefields.

American officials have said Iran’s new mining effort in the Strait of Hormuz is not particularly fast or efficient, but the Iranians appear to be hoping they can lay them out faster than the United States can clear them, creating a greater deterrent for ships to pass through the strait. Ship owners and insurers are aware of the dangers and try to keep their tankers out of harm’s way as much as possible. (DJT said they should “show some courage”.)

Unfortunately for Australia (and the rest of the world) demining hasn’t even started yet. Best estimates are that minesweeping will begin in limited areas within a few weeks. It is a difficult process that is expected to take weeks or months. Targeted cleaning for shipping corridors would likely be faster.

Meanwhile, Australia only has weeks of fuel in reserve, leaving us in a dangerous situation. Once the mines are finally cleared, it will take three weeks for the tankers to reach refineries in Asia. Then the crude oil needs to be refined. There will probably be a long queue for loading. Once on the tanker, it will take two or three weeks for petrol and diesel to reach Australia.

We are in deep trouble.

All because of Donald J Trump’s ego and ignorance. Trump is a perfect example of a wealthy New Yorker for whom greed is good and money is God. His knowledge of the real world is almost non-existent. His wealth protected him from the problems faced by the lower classes. A stint in the army might have enlightened him a bit, but he avoided the draft by claiming: bone spurs on your heels. His university degree it was from here Wharton School of Finance and Business.

During his first term as president, Trump at least had some people in his Cabinet to keep him in check. This time he surrounded himself with inept, yes men and women.

The result is the disaster we are about to endure.