The sun is just rising over the horizon of the Persian Gulf. On the bridge of a massive VLCC oil tanker, sailors keep their eyes fixed on the radar screens as the coast of Iran emerges to the north and that of the United Arab Emirates to the south. Ahead lies one of the planet’s key gateways for energy and trade: the Strait of Hormuz. It is a natural passage through which, in times of peace, goods worth billions of dollars pass every day. Entire states, economies, and the global energy market depend on it. This maritime “chokepoint,” as it…