Iran’s economic‑siege strategy

Iran is deliberately using asymmetric attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure (drones, mines, short‑range missiles, proxy strikes) to turn the Gulf into an enduring economic liability for the West, forcing wider diplomatic concessions. The aim is to convert kinetic harassment into a lasting geopolitical bargaining chip that compels sanctions relief and security guarantees backed by other powers. — If true, this normalizes economic‑siege warfare as a tool of statecraft and forces governments, companies, and insurers to rethink risk, investment, and military options in the Gulf.