Iran Leverages Regional Trade to Resist US Energy Blockade
Tehran uses internal reserves and regional trade to survive a U.S. blockade. While oil exports fell, analysts say the state can maintain stability for months.
Iran oil exports fell to 300,000 bpd in late April, down from 1 million bpd, as a United States blockade persists. It is the sharpest energy squeeze since the April 8 truce paused major fighting. Tehran’s "resistance economy" strategy may delay a total collapse until after the U.S. midterm elections, impacting global inflation expectations.
### Tehran Leverages Internal Buffers Iran remains locked in a stalemate with the United States and Israel while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Despite infrastructure damage, the state has not yet rationed fuel or food staples. Sanam Vakil, head of the Middle East programme at Chatham House in the United Kingdom, said leaders have calculated a longer runway than Western policymakers anticipated.
