Two of the world's most ancient and essential maritime corridors — the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea — have become instruments of geopolitical pressure, as Iran and Houthi forces constrain the arteries through which roughly a fifth of global trade once moved freely. The disruption is not a warning or a threat; it is already reshaping the economics of everyday life, from energy prices to the survival of small businesses far removed from the conflict. UN Secretary-General Guterres has called for diplomacy, recognizing what history repeatedly confirms: when commerce is weaponized, it is ordina