The war in Iran is dragging on. The Iranian people are still not free and the Revolutionary Guard is still in charge. However, things may be beginning to change.
On Monday, The New York Post reported:
A US ally in the Middle East has finally cut off Iran — and it could be one of the biggest threats to the regime yet.
The United Arab Emirates, which serves as Tehran’s largest supplier of goods, suspended all trade with the Iran over the weekend — nixing $6 billion in cash that went to the regime from exports, as well as access to vital supplies from the outside world.
Dubai — the UAE’s thriving commercial hub — is by far Iran’s largest supplier of goods. The Emirati government finally got fed up with Iran following repeated missile attacks that triggered evacuations for the first time during the war.
The move not only threatens the $21.3 billion trade relations between the two nations, it also leaves Iran without its primary way to collect US dollars, Mark Kimmitt, a retired US general and former assistant secretary of state, told The Post.
“If the Emirates cease trade and blocks dollar flows, it could have a crippling effect on the Iranian economy,” Kimmitt said.
Dubai essentially served as Iran’s window to the world after years of being slapped by Western sanctions, with traders buying and re-exporting consumer goods, food and industrial equipment to Iran.
Iran made a tactical error when it began attacking its Arab neighbors. The only hope to keep the Iranian economy afloat right now is China.
The article notes:
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has begun recovering despite Iran’s threats, even as the regime announces new penalties for vessels that refuse to play by its rules. Some ships are using routes Iran doesn’t recognize. Others are sailing with their transponders switched off, making the precise traffic picture difficult to measure. But the larger point is becoming harder for Tehran to hide: intimidation isn’t working the way it used to.
Iran, naturally, is handling this with all the composure you’d expect.
Mohsen Rezaei, the regime’s new security chief, warned that countries cooperating with America’s economic campaign could be treated as committing an “act of war.” Tehran is also threatening retaliation against neighboring countries and economic interests if they help Washington tighten the screws.
It’s hard to win the poker game when you don’t have the cards.