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Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are rising once again. The fact that the conflict is so protracted speaks to both the military and diplomatic approaches to the war. But it’s also exposed another key reality: the limits of U.S. sanctions.
That the U.S. has so far been unsuccessful in using its might to compel other nations to change course isn’t surprising, write Charmaine N. Willis and Keith A. Preble. They argue that Washington’s "turn toward a sanction-first, ask-questions-later approach has" has eroded its ability to shape the behaviour of other countries.
In the Strait of Hormuz, up to 20,000 seafarers on 2,000 vessels remain stranded - enduring a combination of physical danger and psychological stress typical of combat zones. The current crisis is deeply troubling. But, as Claudio Bozzi explains, the grim reality is that even at the best of times, seafarers generally experience appalling working conditions, while contending with geopolitical crises and unpredictable trade cycles.
The Venice Biennale, often described as the ‘Olympics of the art world’, is due to open on Saturday. The event has seen a great deal of political drama since the introduction of national pavilions in 1907 which transformed it from a local Italian event into an international exhibition. But, as Patrizia Biondi argues, this year’s political controversy involving Israel and Russia and which led to the collective resignation of the jury, marks the unravelling of a long-standing fiction: that art institutions can remain separate from politics.
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