Price:

POLITICS

Iran blockade stalls as allies pay tolls and US missile stocks collapse

Friday, May 1, 2026 · from 5 podcasts, 6 episodes
5 SOURCESMacro VoicesBreaking PointsThe EconomistBanklessSimon Dixon Hard Talk
  • UAE left OPEC to pump its own oil, collapsing cartel discipline and Saudi pricing power.
  • Allies Japan and Germany bypass the US blockade, paying Iran tolls in crypto and yuan.
  • US depleted 40% of its missile arsenal, leaving Taiwan and Europe defenseless.

The blockade is failing. The US seized the tanker NT Majestic carrying 1.9 million barrels of Iranian oil last week, but Saagar Enjeti notes at least 52 Iranian ships have since breached the naval line. Iran now allows specific vessels through the Strait - like a Japanese tanker - in exchange for tolls paid in cryptocurrency or Chinese yuan.

"The US naval blockade is becoming a sieve."

- Krystal Ball, Breaking Points

Japan faces an existential energy shortage. A single US tanker provides less than half a day of its national consumption, forcing it to make side deals with Tehran. Germany’s chancellor has called the situation a humiliation for the United States.

The UAE’s exit from OPEC on May 1st removes over 10% of the cartel’s production capacity. Simon Dixon argues the Emirates built the plumbing for independence, integrating with China's payment system and constructing pipelines that bypass the Strait. They are now pumping to salvage their economy, regardless of Saudi quotas.

America’s military capacity is evaporating. The US has fired 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, 40% of its total stockpile. Saagar Enjeti cites a New York Times report that replenishing these, along with over 1,000 Tomahawks and 1,200 Patriot interceptors, could take six years.

"Replenishing stocks could take six years, compromising plans to defend Taiwan."

- Saagar Enjeti, Breaking Points

An internal rift is opening. Vice President JD Vance privately questions the Pentagon’s assessments, fearing the US is now defenseless against a Chinese move on Taiwan. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is accused of presenting ‘victory reels’ to Trump.

The math of scarcity is brutal. Rory Johnston notes the world is losing 13 million barrels daily, guaranteeing a one-billion barrel annual deficit. His model suggests Brent crude could hit $200 by June if the Strait stays closed. Europe, with only weeks of jet fuel left, faces prices five times normal.

Trump’s ‘Operation Economic Fury’ is crushing his base. Gas prices jumped 50 cents in Illinois in one day. A New York Times focus group found Trump voters feeling ‘betrayed.’ The University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey hit its lowest point in 50 years.

WarTradeEnergy
New York TimesUAEWorldcoinChinaGermanyIranJapanUnited States

Source Intelligence

- Deep dive into what was said in the episodes

Macro Voices
Macro Voices

MacroVoices #530 Daniel Lacalle: China and The Us Will Decide The Outcome of The Iran War • Apr 30

  • Europe faces severe energy security risks from the Strait of Hormuz closure, with only weeks of jet fuel left and potential for prices to quintuple. Consumer sentiment there is at its lowest since the pandemic.
  • Lacalle argues the US and China have superior staying power in the conflict. The US is a net exporter of 2.8 million barrels of oil per day, and China has massive commodity stockpiles plus a strategic supply agreement with Russia.
  • Iran’s economy was already in crisis before the war, with 60% inflation and protests in 2025. Lacalle notes 25% of its GDP and 60% of government revenue flow through the Strait of Hormuz.
  • European political sentiment is polarized regarding the conflict. A majority view holds it is a US-Israel issue, with support limited to logistical or diplomatic efforts, not active military participation.
  • Lacalle sees a consensus against price controls in Europe, but a greater risk of populist-driven windfall profit taxes on energy companies that could deter investment in supply security.
  • He believes oil prices have likely peaked but the geopolitical risk premium will keep a floor under them. The forward curve discounts oil prices remaining $15 above January levels by year-end.
  • Lacalle cites the US shift from largest oil importer to largest producer as turning it from a shock amplifier to a shock absorber in energy crises, a key structural change from 1973 and 2008.
  • Erik Townsend argues the market is in denial about the inevitable global energy crunch, drawing a parallel to the early COVID pandemic where economic reality took weeks to be priced in.
  • Townsend interprets the UAE’s exit from OPEC as a signal that spare capacity will be eliminated post-crisis, making markets more vulnerable to future price spikes despite a near-term production surge.
Also from this episode: (5)

Macro (1)

  • Daniel Lacalle attributes the stock market rally amid the Iran crisis to soaring global money supply growth, which inflates asset prices even as money velocity declines.

Inflation (1)

  • Lacalle argues for a regime of persistent inflation, driven by high government spending, soaring money supply, and policies aimed at sustaining aggregate demand. He notes food and shelter costs in the EU and UK have risen twice as much as official CPI over seven years.

Markets (1)

  • He explains gold’s recent inverse relationship to oil and geopolitics was driven by unwinding of leveraged long-gold/short-dollar trades and central bank selling to support local currencies.

Business (2)

  • Lacalle identifies fertilizer availability and price as a critical inflation vector, a bigger problem for Europe due to eroded farm margins, while the US faces only a price issue.
  • He warns of lagged economic damage in Europe, particularly margin erosion and credit deterioration in financials, aviation, automotive, and tourism, which equity markets have yet to price.
MacroEnergyInflationFed
Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar
Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

4/30/26: Trump Orders Indefinite Blockade, US Tries To Collapse Iran Economy, Trump Delusional Oil Bet • Apr 30

  • Saagar claims the US lost 50% of its interceptor capacity in the 38-day war. Krystal says the world now sees a breakdown of the US global empire.
  • Krystal cites Treasury interventions to suppress oil prices but says they have a limited shelf life. She references Ryan reporting next week on the direct market manipulation.
  • Saagar says Japanese Airlines now charges a $350 surcharge per ticket for North America/Europe flights, more than double the pre-war rate, with South Korean airlines following suit.
  • Krystal and Saagar criticize Pete Hegseth for refusing to acknowledge war costs. Ro Khanna stated the blockade will cost the average household $5,000 extra for gas and food this year.
  • Guest Rory Johnson says the Strait of Hormuz closure has already caused a 600 million barrel supply hit, guaranteeing at least a 1 billion barrel shortfall for the year.
  • Rory Johnson notes US commercial petroleum inventories fell by a headline 17 million barrels plus a 7.1 million barrel SPR draw, a massive 24 million total draw versus a normal ±5 million range.
  • Rory Johnson argues Iran has 10-30 days of onshore and floating tanker storage before having to shut in wells, a timeline mismatched with the Gulf's two-month production shutdown.
  • Rory Johnson's fair value models show oil could reach $180-$200 per barrel by end of June if Hormuz remains closed, absent major policy actions like SPR releases.
Also from this episode: (7)

Politics (4)

  • Saagar argues the US faces three dire options in Iran: withdrawing and accepting a historic strategic defeat, continuing the indefinite blockade, or resuming limited strikes which would restart hot war and destroy Gulf oil assets.
  • Krystal cites Iranian claims that 52 ships breached the US blockade, highlighting its porous nature. She notes Iran can also move goods over land and has secured new deals with Pakistan.
  • Krystal points out Pete Hegseth's contradictory testimony: he justified the war to stop an imminent nuclear threat, then claimed Iran's nuclear facilities were already 'obliterated'.
  • Saagar says Iran offered a five-year enrichment moratorium with IAEA inspections and downblending uranium to Russia, but the US rejected it because it resembled the JCPOA.

Inflation (1)

  • Saagar cites a University of Michigan survey showing consumer sentiment at 49.8, the lowest in over 50 years, lower than when gas was $5/gallon under Biden.

Markets (2)

  • Saagar explains the S&P 500 is up because Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are spending $1.3 trillion on AI over two years - more than the Manhattan Project each month.
  • Krystal says the bond market is collapsing with the 10-year yield back above 4.4% and the 30-year at 5%, a level Trump has intervened at before, signaling rising US debt financing costs.
WarMacroTradeDiplomacy

4/28/26: Trump Lashes Out At Iran, UAE Ditches OPEC, JD Thinks Hegseth Lying About War • Apr 28

  • Saagar notes the current U.S. red line against Iran focuses solely on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, a demand detached from prior nuclear or proxy issues. The strait was fully open before the war started on February 27th.
  • Krystal cites an Axios report stating Trump told an advisor the only thing Iranians understand is bombs. She argues Trump undermined ceasefire talks by expanding the naval blockade and canceling negotiations in Islamabad.
  • Saagar reports Brent crude oil has returned to its pre-ceasefire price, indicating Iran's economic strategy is working. He notes Iran may soon fill its oil storage, forcing a critical decision to shut down production.
  • Krystal highlights Secretary Marco Rubio's Fox News interview, where he rejected Iran's new proposal to negotiate only on the Strait of Hormuz while setting aside nuclear talks, calling it unacceptable.
  • Saagar cites a Wall Street Journal report that last week saw the lowest-ever traffic through the Strait of Hormuz due to the U.S. blockade. Only one LNG tanker transited yesterday compared to the usual hundreds.
  • Krystal details a U.S. seizure of the tanker NT Majestic carrying 1.9 million barrels of Iranian oil. An Iranian official condemned the act as piracy and warned of retaliatory strikes on regional oil facilities.
  • Saagar references Jeremy Scahill's report that Iran's strategy rests on three points of leverage: munitions, markets, and the U.S. midterm elections. Iran aims to deny Trump a victory and prolong the conflict.
  • Krystal notes key U.S. allies are breaking ranks. A Japanese tanker secured transit through the Strait, and Germany's chancellor called the war a humiliating disaster for the U.S. with no exit in sight.
  • Saagar reports the UAE announced it will leave OPEC and OPEC+ on May 1st. The move, driven by financial pressure and frustration with Saudi quotas, removes 10-13% of the cartel's total production capacity.
  • Krystal cites an Atlantic report that Vice President JD Vance suspects Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is misleading Trump about U.S. weapons stockpiles and the war's progress. Vance has raised concerns in closed-door meetings.
  • Saagar details a New York Times report on depleted U.S. munitions: 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, over 1,000 Tomahawks, and 1,200 Patriot interceptors were used. Replenishing stocks could take six years, compromising plans to defend Taiwan.
  • Krystal reports that Secretary Pete Hegseth took Kid Rock on a joyride in Apache helicopters at Fort Belvoir. She frames it as a sign of the administration's misplaced priorities during an ongoing war.
  • Saagar notes the House is voting on a War Powers resolution from Josh Gottheimer to end military action against Iran within 30 days. The only Democratic co-sponsor, Jared Golden, now faces pressure to vote for his own measure.
MacroEnergyMarketsDiplomacyWar
The Intelligence from The Economist
The Intelligence from The Economist

Drill pickle: oil prices still misjudge shock • Apr 30

  • The current oil supply shock is the largest in history, with a 13 million barrel per day deficit from the Strait of Hormuz closure, far exceeding the 3 million barrel per day disruption feared from the Russia-Ukraine war.
  • Oil prices around $125 per barrel are misleadingly low because buffers absorbed the initial shock. These included a pre-war market surplus, increased Gulf exports before conflict, and the release of rich countries' strategic petroleum reserves.
  • Hidden demand destruction in developing nations is masking the true deficit. Cooking oil and petrochemical feedstock shortages in Asia and Africa have already rationed consumption outside major tracked markets.
  • Mathieu Favas argues oil prices must rise further to ration consumption in rich countries as buffers deplete, forcing a contraction in demand for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
  • Reopening the Strait of Hormuz would not provide immediate relief. Restarting production, repositioning tankers, and refining crude would take three to four months before markets normalize.
  • The UAE's departure from OPEC matters for the future. It could export more post-crisis and may encourage other members to leave, potentially leaving Saudi Arabia alone to manage production cuts.
Also from this episode: (8)

Markets (1)

  • Financial markets react asymmetrically to oil news. Prices fell $10 on a false reopening announcement but rose only $5 when it was retracted, partly due to algorithmic traders reacting to headlines over fundamentals.

Politics (3)

  • Polls indicate the French populist right, the National Rally, is the only certainty for the 2027 presidential runoff, with Marine Le Pen or Jordan Bardella as its candidate.
  • Sophie Pedder says the French centre and left are fragmented with no clear frontrunner to oppose the National Rally, risking a final choice between political extremes.
  • Succession for Macron's centre hinges on a rivalry between former prime ministers Édouard Philippe, currently leading in polls, and Gabriel Attal, who leads Macron's Renaissance party.

Elections (2)

  • A July 7th court appeal ruling will determine if Marine Le Pen can run for president; if banned, Jordan Bardella will lead the National Rally ticket.
  • Sophie Pedder notes French presidential polls 12 months out are historically unreliable, with half of the last six elections failing to predict the final runoff candidates.

Sports (2)

  • Brazil's football team qualified fifth in South America for the expanded 48-team World Cup, winning only eight of its 18 qualification matches.
  • Brazil holds the best men's World Cup record with 76 victories in 114 matches and is the only country to have played in all 22 tournaments.
MacroEnergyMarketsElectionsEurope
Bankless
Bankless

$200 Oil by June?—The Biggest Oil Shock in History | Rory Johnston on The Hormuz Crisis • Apr 29

  • A barrel of oil is a 42-gallon unit of measurement. The global market consumes roughly 105 million barrels daily.
  • Rory Johnston states roughly 20 million barrels per day transited the Strait of Hormuz before its closure. Current shut-in volume due to the closure is estimated at 13 million barrels per day.
  • The oil futures curve signals market tightness through backwardation. A record-high prompt spread of $15 for WTI created a massive incentive to sell barrels immediately.
  • Johnston argues the market is underreacting to the supply shock. His model suggests Brent could approach $200 per barrel by late June if the Hormuz closure persists and draws down OECD stocks.
  • The dominant market narrative shifted from 'peak oil supply' fears in the 2000s to 'peak oil demand' driven by shale technology and the energy transition.
  • Spare production capacity is held almost exclusively by state actors like Saudi Aramco. The U.S. has no meaningful spare capacity due to its private, competitive industry structure.
  • Not all crude oil is equal; value depends on density and sulfur content. Light, sweet crudes like Brent and WTI are more valuable than heavy, sour grades like Western Canadian Select.
  • The economic impact of high oil prices is a regressive tax, hitting poorer consumers hardest. Demand destruction often comes from recession-induced income loss, not direct price elasticity.
  • Johnston believes the Hormuz crisis will end when market pressure forces a U.S. concession. He notes a paradox where Trump's verbal interventions lower prices, temporarily reducing that pressure.
  • While the U.S. is energy secure, coastal consumers still face global prices. Johnston cites literature showing U.S. presidential approval ratings move inversely with pump prices.
  • The long-term consequence of the Hormuz crisis will be accelerated energy transition investment, shifting the debate from climate morality to energy security and affordability.
EnergyMacroMarketsTrade
Simon Dixon Hard Talk
Simon Dixon Hard Talk

UAE LEAVES OPEC, Is This The End Of Saudi Arabia and Opec Countries? | Market Update • Apr 28

  • Dixon views OPEC as a price-fixing cartel that creates illegitimate wealth and artificially inflates energy costs, suppressing alternative energy innovation.
  • He states Saudi Arabia can produce oil for $2-10 per barrel but needs a $70 price to meet its fiscal budget for population welfare, while US producers need $50 to break even.
  • He notes oil currently trades around $170 for physical delivery in some markets despite futures prices, creating a humanitarian impact.
Also from this episode: (9)

Diplomacy (2)

  • Simon Dixon says the UAE's exit from OPEC must be viewed alongside its normalization with Israel, BRICS membership, integration into China's CIPS, and role as a sanctions circumvention hub for Iran.
  • Dixon states the UAE leads Project mBridge for the BIS, a CBDC network linking Saudi Arabia, UAE, Hong Kong, China, and Thailand to facilitate gold trade.

Protocol (1)

  • The UAE is the world's third-largest Bitcoin mining country, following Iran and Russia, and positioned itself as the Middle East's crypto hub.

Fed (1)

  • The UAE requested an FX swap line from the Federal Reserve, a mechanism Dixon says incentivizes major holders not to sell US Treasuries and equities to prevent US borrowing costs from spiking.

Macro (2)

  • The UAE holds $270 billion in dollar cash reserves and $1.4 trillion in total US assets, including Treasuries and infrastructure investments.
  • Dixon's analysis ties key financial thresholds to potential de-escalation: 30-year Treasury yields at 5%, 10-year yields at 4.5%, and WTI oil futures approaching $115.

Politics (3)

  • Dixon argues an FX swap line lets a country print local currency to exchange for new dollars from the Fed, increasing US national debt and inflation while securing dollar liquidity.
  • A primary sanctions circumvention route involves exchanging dollars for gold, shipping it via the Strait of Hormuz to Shanghai for yuan credits, then using that yuan for Chinese exports or Iranian oil.
  • Dixon argues the current crisis is manufactured to create a global reset, transferring wealth to the financial-industrial complex, military budgets, and the surveillance state.
MacroMarketsEnergyFedTrade

Related Stories