Seoul Economic Daily
International News from South Korea
Tensions between the United States and Iran are escalating uncontrollably once again. U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled that he will bomb an area near Iran's uranium enrichment facility, while Yemen's pro-Iran armed group, the Houthi rebels, who had been quiet, attacked a Saudi Arabian airport with missiles.
First, in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on the 13th, President Trump said, "Tonight and tomorrow, we will hit Iran hard," adding, "We will remove Pickaxe Mountain."
According to Reuters, Pickaxe Mountain is located near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility, which was damaged by a U.S. airstrike last June. "We are keeping a close eye on it (Pickaxe Mountain)," Trump said. "Every time we hear news about the nuclear issue, we blow it up. We will attack relatively soon."
The United States also plans to resume its naval blockade of Iran. U.S. Central Command announced that it would resume the naval blockade of Iran at 4 p.m. on the 14th (U.S. Eastern time, 5 a.m. on the 15th Korea time). This is a follow-up measure after President Trump mentioned that he would restart the naval blockade of Iran. The strategy is to tighten Iran's funding channels by completely cutting off the export route for Iranian crude oil.
President Trump also declared that the United States would take 20% of cargo as a toll in exchange for guaranteeing the safety of civilian vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. In a Fox interview, Trump said, "We will receive big money (from protecting Hormuz)," adding, "Other countries are very wealthy, and they are on our side. You cannot expect us to do that for free."
Major foreign media reported that the shipping industry is showing confusion, not knowing what specific measures the United States intends to take. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN agency, stated that "there is no legal basis for imposing a mandatory toll simply for passing through the strait."
Some experts also assess that the 20% toll may be a bargaining chip for President Trump. The interpretation is that as Iran refused to back down on its Hormuz transit fee card, the United States pulled out its own toll card, ultimately intending to force Iran to withdraw its toll imposition policy. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly expressed opposition, saying that if a toll in the Strait of Hormuz becomes reality, a "domino" trend of toll imposition would spread across straits worldwide, with China imposing tolls in the South China Sea.
Nevertheless, with factors stimulating oil prices flooding in, international oil prices surged. On the ICE Futures Exchange, the closing price of Brent crude for September delivery rose 9.6% to $83.3 per barrel, breaking through the $80 level. This is the highest level in about a month. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for August delivery closed 9.4% higher at $78.14.
The possibility of a full-scale resumption of war between the United States and Iran is also rising. President Trump has officially notified Congress that combat with Iran has resumed, the New York Times (NYT) reported. The outlet reported that "President Trump sent a letter to congressional leaders on the 10th, saying on the 7th that 'U.S. forces participated in a defensive attack on targets inside Iran.'"
Trump also announced that he would deliver an address to the nation at 9 p.m. on the 16th (10 a.m. on the 17th Korea time) without revealing its contents. Trump also delivered an address to the nation on April 1, when he mentioned that he would "strike Iran extremely hard over the next two to three weeks."
Iran did not stay silent either. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi effectively mocked President Trump, saying, "The U.S. president is entirely correct. The party that guarantees safe and secure passage for merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated," and "Iran has always been the guardian of this strait and will remain so forever. Of course, 20% is too much. We will do it fairly." This is interpreted to mean that sovereignty over the strait belongs to Iran and that it would charge a toll lower than the 20% Trump signaled.
Sana'a International Airport in Yemen's capital is engulfed in flames on the 13th (local time). EPA/Yonhap
The Houthis, Yemen's pro-Iran rebels who had been quiet, also took action. The Houthi rebels said they struck Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport with ballistic missiles and drones. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree explained in a TV statement that day that the action was retaliation for Saudi Arabia's airstrike on Yemen's capital Sanaa International Airport. Earlier that day, the Houthi rebels declared an end to the ceasefire with Saudi Arabia, saying Saudi Arabia had struck Sanaa International Airport. Sanaa Airport is under the control of the Houthi rebels.
In connection with this, the Yemeni Defense Ministry, which opposes the Houthis, stated that "the Houthis, a terrorist group backed by the Iranian regime, blocked Yemeni national aircraft from landing at Sanaa Airport while forcing the landing of only Iranian aircraft violating Yemeni territory," adding, "Accordingly, we targeted and struck the airport runway."
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