Jeremy Scahill

I mean, Kuwait was just absolutely pummeled alongside the United Arab Emirates.

But the Kuwaitis, I think, felt like they are going to be left to fend for themselves when the United States escalates this.

And then they're right on the front lines.

Anyone just pull out a map.

Look how close Kuwait is to Iran.

And so I think from Kuwait's perspective, they're saying the last time you escalated and started bombing them, we had to endure six weeks of massive strikes raining down on our territory.

And by the way, it was just announced this week that Kuwait had to put it in order for billions of dollars worth of new Patriot missiles and interceptors that are not going to be ready for many, many years.

I mean, that's another story here.

So I

I don't think the Saudis and the Kuwaitis were saying, oh, we love Iran now and we're going to sort of heroically block you.

I think the perception is you didn't defend us.

You put all your effort into Israel and all your effort into waging this war of choice.

And you left us as sitting ducks.

So at least it was like a 24-hour protest that they engaged in.

But I think the deeper story here is it was just a strategic failure.

And that blockade is harming many, many other countries more than it is Iran right now.

The Iranians can last for months, I think, based on their current supply.

They're used to having a resistance economy.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies pumped all this stuff into the Trump administration's head that the oil wells were going to explode within three days in Iran, that the country was going to go into sort of like a deep, deep financial crisis.

Yes, they're having trouble with liquidity right now.