Pressure Systems edition
Hormuz Naval Blockades and the ICC Dismantling Campaign
July 15, 2026
What this edition shows
The Trump administration is leveraging a massive naval mobilization in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf to enforce energy blockades while simultaneously moving to disable the International Criminal Court to insulate US personnel from global oversight. This aggressive pivot toward maritime economic warfare and the dismantling of international legal tribunals forces a collision between Alberta's oil expansionism and the material reality of a military-industrial budget now exceeding $1.5 trillion.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 10 sources
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US attacks Iran as IRGC claims strikes on US military sites in Gulf
Oil prices rise as the US renews a blockade on Iranian ports and carries out a wave of air strikes.
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The Houthis Have Joined the Chat
Iran’s break-the-glass plan to strangle another key waterway may now be active.
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The Trump administration wants to dismantle the International Criminal Court. Can it?
On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote a blistering missive in the Wall Street Journal unveiling plans to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC). He claimed it threatened “US soldiers, police officers, Border Patrol agents and elected leaders” under international laws that “we…
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Even if the Iran war ends, the next fossil fuel shock is already on its way
To prepare, the world needs to focus on building energy independence through renewables and decentralisation.
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US keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is ‘a massive force problem’
Former NATO analyst says Trump's push for a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would mean a huge military operation.
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Trump administration vows to ‘disable’ International Criminal Court
US State Department ups pressure campaign on international tribunal, threatening allies who support investigations.
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US risks falling into ‘escalation trap’ if it deploys troops in Iran
Analyst Alex Alfirraz Scheers says the US risks falling into an escalation trap if it launches a ground assault in Iran.
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The Pentagon Needs $1.5 Trillion
At a perilous moment, Washington is smart to invest in a bigger defense budget.
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The fiscal fantasy of fossil fuels
Governments spend billions fighting fires, rebuilding communities, compensating disaster victims and treating the growing health burden from climate change. Then those same governments spend billions more expanding the industry making those disasters steadily worse.
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Alberta wants to double its oil production. The companies that would have to do it? Not so much
Danielle Smith wants to double Alberta's oil production in a decade. The math still says that's impossible — and all the MOUs in the world can't change that.