By Noureddine Omar | 2026-08-21

Global oil price stability and the reliable flow of supplies from Gulf states have exposed the hollow nature of Iranian threats.

Tehran claimed it could close the Strait of Hormuz, yet this primary bargaining chip has failed to materialize as intended.

"Stable Brent crude prices hovering around $79, have effectively neutralized Tehran's dire warnings of energy disaster," Ain Shams University economics professor Shaher Abdullah told Al-Fassel.

"Iran repeatedly threatened that oil prices would skyrocket past $150 per barrel throughout the period of ongoing regional tensions. However, the uninterrupted flow of Gulf oil has provided a critical safety valve for global markets grappling with uncertainty," he added.

Gulf strategy neutralizes Iranian threats

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone successfully transported 130 million barrels through the strait over the past two difficult months.

Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia actively utilized the Yanbu pipelines, while Iraq and Kuwait secured their own dedicated and independent channels.

These actions ensured global markets remained calm, transforming Iranian threats into nothing more than manageable and ineffective political nuisances.

Tehran's defiant warning, "If you strike us, we will halt global energy supplies," has proven empty as oil flows remain completely uninterrupted by Iran, Abdullah noted.

"Consequently, negotiations with the United States fluctuate simply because Tehran lacks the actual power to close vital transit lanes permanently," he added.

Had Iran possessed this leverage, it would have undoubtedly imposed its terms to secure all sought-after political concessions.

Supertankers defy Iran's blockade attempt

Iran's military inability to control the Strait of Hormuz is clearly evidenced by the constant flow of heavily laden supertankers daily.

These vessels move slowly, making them easy targets for anyone genuinely capable of enforcing a blockade in these waters.

Furthermore, the Houthis have similarly failed to disrupt maritime traffic in any meaningful or lasting way despite attacks.

Retired Emirati army officer Abdullah al-Ameri emphasizes that "Iran has definitively lost its key leverage against global energy markets."

The UAE has successfully exported crude oil from the Gulf, despite recent Iranian regime attacks on vessels in the vicinity of the strait.

"Tankers continue transiting the strait, often with tracking systems turned off, completing shuttle runs to the Gulf of Oman in defiance of Iranian threats," al-Ameri told Al-Fassel.

Informed sources confirm that covert transfers to vessels waiting outside the Strait of Hormuz have resumed successfully following the recent attacks.

This transit proves the Iranian regime cannot enforce its alleged blockade against international shipping and global economic interests.

If Iran cannot intercept slow-moving tankers, its naval capabilities are demonstrably far weaker than previously advertised, analysts assert.

The UAE fleet's transit exposes Iran's naval impotence; failing to interdict tankers in this 21-mile chokepoint proves threats to control the strait are undeniably hollow.