History Repeats? Iran-Iraq Tanker War vs US-Iran Oil Clash

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]What if another tanker war breaks out just like the 1980s Iran-Iraq War?

[00:00:04]Because it has happened before. In 1980, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran. By 1984, Iraq began attacking Iranian oil tankers to choke its economy. Iran retaliated targeting tankers linked to Iraq and its allies. In total, [music] Iraq carried out 283 attacks, while Iran launched 168. In 1987, under Ronald Reagan, the US launched Operation Earnest Will, escorting [music] oil tankers through active war zones. But even that wasn't enough. Ships were still hit by mines, missiles, fast attack boats. And yet, [music] despite all this, global oil kept flowing. Now, fast forward to today. Ships are being intercepted, attacked, and global energy routes are under pressure again. If 9 weeks of this is already chaos, what would a tanker war lasting years change?