The Strait escape
Iran refused again on Tuesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless the US meets its demands, flexing its leverage over the world’s most important artery for oil and gas shipping. But now, that leverage is prompting a rethink of global shipping routes. Saudi Arabia, one of the top oil producers in the world, plans to increase capacity on its East-West pipeline to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea from 7 to 9 million barrels per day by 2030. The UAE is fast-tracking a second line alongside its Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, which would double capacity to 3.6 million barrels per day by next year. Other countries are looking farther afield: China recently sent an Arctic shipping mission to assess the Northern Sea Route as an alternative link between Asia and Europe that would bypass the Middle East entirely.
Are progressives losing steam?
Center-left candidate David Crowley narrowly defeated socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, defying polls that showed Hong ahead by double digits. The result offered another measure of the progressive momentum after a closely watched Michigan Senate primary last week ended in a progressive victory. The takeaway? It’s mixed. Crowley’s win could embolden the party’s center-left and renew questions about whether socialist candidates can win statewide races in battlegrounds like Wisconsin. But progressives also scored a victory in Minnesota, where Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated moderate Rep. Angie Craig in the Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday. With more primaries ahead, the Democratic Party’s ideological fight is far from over.
China and Indonesia conduct joint naval drills east of Taiwan
China on Tuesday announced joint military drills with Indonesia in waters east of Taiwan, marking the first time the Chinese military has hosted exercises with another country in that area. The announcement quickly raised concerns in Taiwan, drawing swift condemnation from Taipei. Indonesia, however, downplayed the drills, insisting they were routine exercises and not preparation for war. The exercises come as China has stepped up its military activity around Taiwan in recent years. While the risk of China invading Taiwan in the near future is low, Indonesia’s participation adds another concern for Taiwan: Beijing has long sought to squeeze Taiwan diplomatically, and conducting a drill with another major regional power could add to that sense of isolation.
