Israel and the US hit Iran, decapitating its leadership in what they described as a pre-emptive and decisive strike. The argument was simple: extremists and their terrorist proxies cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Otherwise, others would feel compelled to develop their own, turning the Middle East into a cluster of nuclear cantinas with fingers hovering over the trigger.

Israel said the threats were real, and the US stood with it. Iran fired back, launching missiles at American positions in the Gulf and sending drones into the air. The response was loud, angry, and theatrical.

Now, Iranian voices are on the radio telling ships they cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as if it were their private driveway, complete with a guardhouse at sea and a whistle to signal who may pass. As if it were a light switch that they could flip whenever they felt scorned.

Let’s talk about that switch.

Everyone is panicking. “Oh no, the world is ending.” And for good reason. About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through that narrow strip of water. Choke it, and gas prices go haywire. Air travel becomes more expensive. Food prices rise. Shipping costs surge. That is the leverage Iran believes it holds — the ability to take the world hostage.

Washington, however, does not depend on Middle East oil the way it once did. It produces far more energy now. China needs Gulf oil more. So do Europe and much of Asia.

If Iran actually closes the Strait, markets freeze. Japan feels it. Europe feels it. India feels it. The Philippines feels it. And let’s not forget that Iran’s own oil passes through the same waterway. It would be like setting your own house on fire to scare the neighbors.

The Philippines does not need to be bombed to feel the effects of war. It only has to see oil prices spike. We import most of our fuel. When oil hits $120 a barrel, the impact shows up immediately at the pump. Jeepneys, ride-hailing services, buses, airlines, cargo ships, and groceries all become more expensive.

And you do not even have to sink a ship to cause damage. You only have to scare the insurance companies, the Lloyd’s of London crowd. Once insurers get nervous, ships stop moving. No insurance means no cargo. A $200 million oil tanker does not sail through a potential war zone uninsured.

During the 2019 Gulf tanker attacks, war-risk premiums jumped sharply. Ships avoided key routes. Freight costs surged — and that was without a full blockade. Take a regional fight and you can turn it global overnight.

Right now, this is a Middle East confrontation. Choke the passage and it becomes a global energy crisis, a shipping crisis, a financial crisis. You force the world’s top navies to act. The US Navy does not negotiate choke points; it opens them.

At the moment, the West is fragmented. Allies bicker and energy politics are messy. But close Hormuz and you create instant unity. America. Europe. Japan. India. Gulf states. Even countries that are not fans of Washington will line up behind freedom of navigation.

Persia would be building the coalition it fears most. A blockade is economic war, and economic war gets answered. To Iran: be very careful. You already do not want the United States. You definitely do not want half the oil-buying world united against you.