The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Dewey and the Australian destroyer HMAS Stuart patrol the Strait of Malacca. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of War) The world’s critical maritime chokepoints determine who controls the flow of oil, gas, and commerce between the Middle East, Europe, China, and the United States. The five most important chokepoints are the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Panama Canal. Together, they carry the overwhelming majority of the world’s seaborne energy trade, and within roughly fourteen months, the Trump administration has established…