America's Hormuz Moment!

The "Suez Moment" of 1956 remains in memory as a symbol of the collapse of the British Empire. Now, referencing that "Suez Moment," people are talking about "America's Hormuz Moment." According to many analysts, the "Hormuz Moment" could bring about a fracture for the United States similar to what the Suez Crisis inflicted on Britain. Interestingly, Israel finds itself among the main actors in both of these historic events.

In 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser ended Britain's dominance over the Suez Canal. The nationalization of the Canal in July 1956 also made the presence of the British military base at Suez unnecessary. Determined to seize the Canal, Britain and France decided in secret talks in mid-October that Israel would attack Egypt.

According to the plan, Israel would attack Egypt under a false pretext. Britain and France would pursue a stalling policy until Israel reached the left bank of the Canal. Britain and France would then issue a so-called ultimatum to both sides; Israel would accept the ultimatum and withdraw its troops 15 kilometers back. It was obvious that Egypt would not accept this ultimatum. Thus, after bombing Egypt from the air, Britain and France would land troops on November 6th.

The timing was telling. The U.S. presidential elections were on November 6th. For this reason, they assumed the United States would stay silent. The plan initially worked like clockwork. However, as a result of strong reactions from the United States and the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and Israel withdrew their troops. In this crisis, the U.S. turned Britain upside down like a turtle and left it stranded. The crisis ended in Egypt's favor.

Just as the British and French were launching their ground offensive, Nasser sank dozens of rusty ships filled with rocks, shutting the Canal to traffic. Like closing the Strait of Hormuz, closing the Suez Canal provided Egypt with a geopolitical lever in negotiations.

The Suez Crisis destroyed the political career of British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden. By resigning in January 1957, Anthony Eden had shown the world that Britain was no longer a great power as before. After the "Suez Moment," no one would ever speak of Britain as an "empire" again. While Britain was knocked down a peg on the global power stage, it was the 'rising America' that took its place.

The British and French must not have forgotten the "Suez Moment," as they did not take part in Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. Trump, in turn, reacted on his social media account, saying: "The U.S. will no longer help you, just as you did not help us. Iran is essentially destroyed. The hard part is over. Go get your own oil!"

The title of conservative intellectual Christopher Caldwell's article in the New York Times on May 3rd was "America Is Officially a Declining Empire." Noting that the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran represented more than just a bad idea, Caldwell said, "This attack has turned into a turning point in the decline of the American empire." Like many other analysts, Caldwell also made references to the 1956 Suez Crisis in his article.

American history professor Alfred W. McCoy, in an article titled "Empire's Collapse in the Strait of Hormuz: The Iran War, America's Own Suez Crisis," wrote the following:

"Just as Sir Anthony Eden is sadly remembered today in the United Kingdom as the bumbling prime minister who destroyed the British Empire at Suez, future historians may see Donald Trump as the president who, among other things, damaged U.S. international influence through his micro-military adventure in the Middle East. As empires rise and fall, such geopolitical factors clearly remain a constant element in shaping their destinies – a lesson I have tried to teach in my book, 'Five Continents and the Cold War.'"

Alfred McCoy noted that due to the "Suez Crisis," Britain's currency was on the verge of collapse, and the empire's aura of power evaporated. "Although history never repeats itself exactly," McCoy said, "it seems highly appropriate at this moment to question whether the U.S. intervention in Iran is America's version of the Suez Crisis."

Israel could not have been established without Britain, nor could it survive without U.S. support. Yet Israel, which played a role in the decline of the British Empire, is now playing a similar role for the "American Empire." Many people in the U.S., both on the Right and Left, see this. Israel has become a heavy burden for America. It looks very difficult for the American ship to stay afloat with this ominous load.