Strait of Hormuz, tariffs, and Iran's economic war of words
Nearly 200 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz last week; Trump hits Canada with 50% tariffs; Iran's Rezaee boasts of oil sales.
Strait of Hormuz, tariffs, and Iran's economic war of words — Mohsen Rezaee, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, claimed in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB on Saturday that Iran sold 70 million barrels of oil in the past month or two and continues to sell oil daily to American ships.[^1] The boast comes as nearly 200 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz last week, up from 150 the previous week and just 40 two weeks earlier, a sign that the naval blockade is not as tight as Washington might want.[^2] Meanwhile, the US imposed 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods early Saturday morning, after last-minute talks failed.[^3] Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Washington of last-minute changes to terms, which he called "unfair, uneconomical," and suspended negotiations. Trump responded on Truth Social, writing that Canada wants "the benefits of being a country, without being a country." The two countries traded $880 billion in goods and services last year. An opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post advocates for President Trump's 'Operation Economic Fury,' arguing that bombing destroys what Iran has today, but economic warfare can destroy its ability to rebuild tomorrow.[^4] The author claims the war has caused approximately $270 billion in damage, equivalent to 57% of Iran's GDP, and that each additional month of conflict could set the economy back by more than five years. But Rezaee's claims of continued oil sales suggest Iran may be finding ways around the pressure. A day of violence and smuggling across Israel — Residents of the Palestinian village of Asira al-Qibliya woke up this morning to find a building set on fire, a vehicle torched, and graffiti sprayed on walls—a suspected price tag attack.[^1] The incident is one of several violent and criminal events across Israel in the past 12 hours, painting a picture of a society grappling with diverse threats. At the Ashdod port, customs inspectors uncovered a sophisticated smuggling operation: 12 containers declared as sunflower and soybean oil were actually packed with cigarettes, an attempt to evade 30 million shekels in taxes.[^2] Meanwhile, in the north,