The USS Rafael Peralta intercepted a Chinese-owned supertanker on Thursday. The vessel was hauling Iraqi crude oil through the Persian Gulf. This is the first major test of the American maritime blockade. Global energy reserves are hitting tank bottoms. Iran has turned to alternative routes to bypass the constriction. They are using the Caspian Sea and railroads to China. Tehran is sending oil to Beijing to receive vital military parts. Six land routes through Pakistan now carry baby formula and meat. The blockade has doubled the price of jet fuel in Europe. The elite secure their own energy pipelines like the East-West bypass. The working class faces a terminal shortage of basic goods. This is hydrological warfare by another name. The state targets energy flows to force diplomatic surrender. The poor pay the thermodynamic tax in every nation.