Book examines Hormuz crisis and impact for shipping

IMPLICATIONS for shipping from the Strait of Hormuz crisis are examined in a new book written by Australian maritime lawyer (and regular DCN contributor) Alison Cusack.

The book, Choke Point: 150 Days Inside the Strait of Hormuz Crisis, examines the topic from several angles.

“I originally wanted to do 100 days since the conflict started because it wasn’t going away; 100 days was a good point to ask, where were we, where are we now, what is the game plan?" Ms Cusack said.

“There was talk of a ceasefire around April, and I was wondering ‘is this redundant’ but then that didn’t work out and we hit 150 days.”

Ms Cusack said she sought to provide essential information and “wrap it all up together in something useful for the industry”, whether for in-house lawyers, for chartering desks, or just anyone considering the implications for diesel fuel or fertiliser.

There was also the need to retain key insights for future crises.

“Having worked on a few small-level crises or incidents [at the time] you have crystal clarity around what happened," she said.

“But then three months down the track, it all just disappears from your head, and you go, ‘why didn’t we choose that option?.

“It would be good to have an easy to grab set up of what was going on and what were the concerns and what actually was happening because there is so much going on and so much change."

The book does provide context going back to 2020 but is not intended to be a work of geopolitical analysis.

A chapter is included regarding the implications for seafarers during the crisis who “can’t simply catch a plane home”.

Choke Point is available through Kindle and Amazon.