Blockade of Hormuz Strait Crippling US Defense Industry, Warns West Point Report
A new analysis from West Point's Modern War Institute warns that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is causing critical supply chain disruptions that are paralyzing the US defense industrial base.
Hormuz Strait Blockade Threatens US Military Readiness, Warns West Point Report
A new report from the Modern War Institute at West Point has sounded the alarm on the severe impact that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is having on the US defense industry. According to the analysis, the disruption of seaborne trade through this critical chokepoint is causing a "paralyzing, real-time problem" for any potential manufacturing surge in the US defense industrial base, as well as for the repair of defense equipment damaged by Iranian attacks.
At the heart of the issue is the disruption to the supply of sulfur, a vital upstream input for the extraction of critical minerals like copper and cobalt, which are essential for defense manufacturing. The report states that sulfur shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which account for half of the world's total, have seen a "near total" disruption, leading to a 25% spike in prices since the start of the conflict, and a 165% rise year-on-year.
{{IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER}}Source: The Guardian
