US blockade threat on Strait of Hormuz sparks oil price surge amid systemic energy insecurity and geopolitical fragmentation

The Strait of Hormuz blockade threat is not merely a market event but a symptom of a global energy system designed to concentrate power in the hands of a few states and corporations, a legacy of colonial-era resource extraction and Cold War militarization.

Western media's focus on US military posturing obscures how decades of neoliberal energy policies, from the 1973 oil shock to the 2008 financial crisis, have entrenched hydrocarbon dependence while leaving Asian economies structurally vulnerable. The crisis also reveals the failure of post-colonial states to achieve energy sovereignty, as seen in Iran's 1979 revolution or Venezuela's oil nationalization, which were met with punitive measures rather than support. A systemic solution requires dismantling the chokepoint economy through decentralized energy, trade diversification, and financial decolonization, while centering the voices of those most affected by volatility—indigenous communities, women-led cooperatives, and Global South policymakers. The path forward lies not in escalating militarization but in reimagining energy as a commons, governed by principles of equity, resilience, and ecological balance.