Hi friends,
If you follow the headlines, you may feel as though we are in an ‘endless’ Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz is all-important, and high oil and gasoline prices are here to stay.
Not so! Also, you need a different media source. :-)
The situation is improving.
A month ago, I wrote Strategy Is an Art about the pieces beginning to come together. Today, we can see more progress.
More oil is getting out
The Strait of Hormuz is still disrupted.
But Iran has not succeeded in choking off Middle Eastern oil.
Crude moving through Hormuz itself has increased, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE are using pipelines, alternative ports and other routes to move more oil around the Strait.
September crude exports from major Middle Eastern producers have risen to roughly 12.8 million barrels a day — the highest since February.
The world is already less dependent on it — and therefore Iran has less power and control.
The economic pressure on Iran is increasing
The United States is also moving beyond simply putting sanctions on Iran.
Treasury is targeting the network that allows Iran to make money: oil buyers, shippers, intermediaries, banks and other foreign companies.
And it is using the financial leverage I mentioned last month.
Foreign institutions are being forced to make a choice: Is doing business with Iran worth jeopardizing access to America’s much larger financial system?
Importantly, Washington has not immediately gone after China’s biggest banks. The pressure is being increased in stages, leaving room for increasing the pressure.
And negotiations are happening
Iran and the United States are again communicating through mediators.
Iran has proposed conditions for reopening Hormuz; the Trump administration has rejected terms it considers unacceptable.
We are not stuck.
Pressure → choices → negotiation was always part of the strategy.
Gas prices are still high
No, the problem isn’t solved - yet.
Oil is not yet as plentiful as before. Gasoline and diesel remain high, which affects transportation of goods pricing.
The war continues.
But there is an important difference between saying “we aren’t there yet” and saying “nothing is working.”
Look at the direction
More Gulf oil is finding its way to market.
Alternative routes around Hormuz are being used and expanded.
Iran’s financial networks are under increasing pressure.
Countries helping Iran are being forced to reconsider the cost.
The United States is rebuilding strategic energy, mineral and industrial capacity.
And negotiations are taking place while the pressure continues.
These are signs the strategy moving in the right direction.
There may be setbacks - negotiations are a back-and-forth process. And, as I recently had pointed out to me, “In war, the enemy has a say.”
Strategic infrastructure takes time to build, and economic pressure must be handled carefully so that it hurts the adversary enough to put pressure, but not too much.
We must not focus on the current position.
And there is another reason to feel positive. Despite a months-long war and severe disruption at the Strait of Hormuz, the national average for regular gasoline is about $4.48 a gallon — painful, certainly, but still below the record $5.02 reached in June 2022 (under Biden). (Diesel is, however, is near record highs.)
Yes, Strategy is an Art. It requires vision, patience, leverage, restraint and knowing when to apply pressure.
Today, we can see more of that sculpture taking shape.
We aren’t finished. But we are making progress.
Sources:
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind.
White paper on land and water rights: Property Rights and Freedom: A White Paper on America’s Disappearing Land (8/13/2025)
United we stand. Divided we fall. We must not let America fall.
VoteTexas.gov, https://www.votetexas.gov/get-involved/index.html
Disclaimer:
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind. This Substack is provided for informational and commentary purposes only. All claims or statements are based on publicly available sources and are presented as analysis and opinion, not legal conclusions.
No assertion is made of unlawful conduct by any individual, company, or government entity unless such claims are supported by formal public records or verified legal documents. The views expressed here reflect my personal perspective on property rights and land use issues.
While I strive for accuracy and transparency, readers are encouraged to verify all details using the official sources and references provided. Any references to third-party material are included solely for your consideration and do not necessarily reflect my views or imply endorsement.
If you share this content, please include this disclaimer to preserve context and clarity for all readers.
Until next time…
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Or email me, and let’s have a problem-solving conversation. I welcome ‘letters to the editor’ type emails and may publish yours. I hope we can create a caucus with positive, back-to-the-founders’-dream-for-America results. Have a topic you want to know more about?
Some housekeeping…
Going forward, you may need to check your spam folder. And please mark this address as ‘not spam.’ If the newsletter isn’t in your spam folder either, you should look in the Promotions tab.
You can always see everything on the website, RationalAmerican.org.
Thanks again for reading! I’m glad you’re here!