📝 🇺🇸 🚢 From the Caribbean to the Black Sea to Hormuz: The Global Conflict No One is Seeing | Sal Mercogliano

The world’s oceans are witnessing a level of conflict not seen in decades. In this episode of What's Going on With Shipping?, we analyze the rapid escalation of maritime warfare across three key regions: the Caribbean, the Black Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz. From the U.S. Southern Command's strikes on narco-vessels to Ukraine's massive drone offensive against the Russian fleet, and the latest Iranian attacks on commercial tankers, we break down why these "out of sight" events have a habit of triggering global crises.

Key Highlights:
⚓Caribbean Operations: A look at Operation Southern Spear and the controversial 66 strikes against suspected narco-terrorist boats.
⚓Black Sea Offensive: Analyzing Ukraine’s strike on 21 Russian ships within 72 hours and the shift toward targeting bridge and accommodation areas.
⚓Hormuz Crisis: The breakdown of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire after three commercial tankers were struck by Iranian UAVs and projectiles.
⚓Historical Context: Why maritime incidents—from unrestricted submarine warfare to tanker wars—historically lead to major global declarations of war.
⚓The "Fainting Goat" Effect: How the fear of predators in the shipping lanes causes global trade to lock up and freeze in place.

00:00 - Intro: The Reality of Modern Naval Warfare
01:43 - How Maritime Events Historically Escalate into War
04:22 - Conflict 1: Operation Southern Spear in the Caribbean
07:02 - Conflict 2: Drone Attacks and Escalation in the Black Sea
10:11 - Geopolitics of the Sea of Azov and Russian Inland Waterways
13:17 - Conflict 3: The Deteriorating Situation in the Strait of Hormuz
14:48 - Iranian Strikes and US Response (CENTCOM)
16:43 - Analysis of the Iran vs. Oman Safe Passage Lanes
18:32 - The Memorandum of Understanding and Control Disputes
21:51 - The Long-term Impact of Undeclared Naval Wars
23:44 - Outro and How to Support the Channel

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