How to get through the Strait of Hormuz
4/14/202619 min
The United States has been at war with Iran since February 28th. And for a month and a half, Iran’s main leverage over the U.S. has been their control over the Strait of Hormuz — a key global shipping route. Iran has attacked ships that try to pass without approval. And recently they’ve insinuated that one part of the Strait — the part near Oman — is not safe. Which means that captains had to go right by Iran’s shores to get through the Strait … effectively creating a chokepoint for the global economy.
On today’s show, a source inside Iran tells us how ships had been getting through the strait, and how the tollbooth Iran set up works. And we ask: What does this all mean for the global economy?
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This episode of Planet Money was hosted by Nick Fountain. It was produced by James Sneed. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Kwesi Lee. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSarah Gonzalez0:00
We've all been there. Maybe somebody tells you too much about the twist ending of a movie, or they tell you who dies at the end. In other words, you've run into a spoiler. How should you handle spoilers, and what even counts as a spoiler? We'll tell you how we handle spoilers as critics on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Listen via the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Nick Fountain· Host0:19
[upbeat music] You know, live events can generate a lot of income for towns and cities. This is a known fact.
Sarah Gonzalez0:26
Yeah. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour famously stimulated the local economy in the cities it visited. The Federal Reserve even registered the impact.
Nick Fountain· Host0:35
And Planet Money wants to help your city, which is why we altruistically, of course, are going on tour. No other reason.
Sarah Gonzalez0:42
Yep, no other reason. And I don't know, maybe we'll call our tour the Sarah's Tour, 'cause I'm Sarah. I'll be at one of the stops.
Nick Fountain· Host0:51
Again, no other reason, but it will be just as exciting as the Eras Tour. Brand new stories, book signings with the team. Some stops are gonna have game theory games, others will have big name interviews. All of them are gonna be filled with storytelling that explains how economics shapes your life. You get a tote bag with your purchase while supplies last. Think of it as our scarf. You can get tickets at planetmoneybook.com.
Sarah Gonzalez1:14
This is Planet Money from NPR.
Nick Fountain· Host1:19
Right now as we record this show, Tuesday, April 14th, around 2:00 PM Eastern,