Editorial by Paco Baca
The Strait of Hormuz has turned into a funnel of gunpowder. Since February 28, 2026, when Iran closed the passage after U.S. and Israeli attacks, the world has watched how a corridor that moves 20% of global oil has become a stage of war and failed diplomacy.
The United States deployed destroyers and troops, with three tankers damaged in the attempt to keep the transit open. Iran, for its part, conditions reopening on expelling ambassadors from Washington and Tel Aviv, while threatening devastating reprisals. Meanwhile, Russia and China veto at the UN any attempt to escort merchant ships, blocking multilateral exits.
In the midst of this board, desperation mixes with megalomania. Trump went so far as to declare: “I will destroy an entire civilization”, a phrase that condenses the miscalculation of a conflict that will cost money and lives, fueled by Netanyahu’s millenarian ideas and the false discourse that he is the facilitator of the arrival of the expected Jewish messiah.
Geopolitics thickens:
- China, India, and Saudi Arabia are the only ones with safe passage.
- Turkey and Pakistan tried to mediate in Islamabad, but negotiations failed.
- North Korea joins with rhetorical support for Iran, seeking to project strength.
- Russia and China reinforce energy alliances and slow down the militarization of the strait.
The result is a board where every actor plays with fire: the U.S. wants to open the way with cannon fire, Iran closes it with sovereignty speeches, and emerging powers turn the UN into a wall of containment. But nothing is written, no matter how much the promoters of “Demencrazy” want to make it seem, as they seek at all costs to control the game board. It does not look easy for any of those involved, no matter how much money the U.S. keeps pulling from taxpayers, leaving their feet uncovered in the middle of the night. Above all, there are already players who want to jump onto the field, even though they were not invited.
This is only just beginning, and the story they think is already written opens another chapter that begins with ellipses…
