The Fourth Arm · Episode 11 of 11 · 10 min
The Paper Fleet: The 2026 Iran War and the Jones Act Waiver
In 2026, war with Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, and to keep fuel moving the United States suspended the Jones Act. This finale asks what the withered Fourth Arm means for a nation at war, and closes the circle back to the twenty-cent law of 1798. It was recorded in July 2026, with the story still unfolding.
Where it happens
- Strait of Hormuz+1 more episodeClosed in the 2026 war with Iran
- Persian Gulf+3 more episodesAbout 1,000 ships held there by early May 2026
- Gulf of OmanSite of a U.S. blockade announced April 2026
Timeline
- 1798Twenty-cents-a-month seamen's fund created
- 1950434 Jones Act-eligible oceangoing vessels on the U.S. registry
- February 28, 2026U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran begin
- March 17, 2026DHS issues the Jones Act waiver at the Department of War's request
- April 7, 2026Ceasefire announced; a U.S. blockade in the Gulf of Oman follows on April 13
- July 2026The truce collapses; about 6,000 seafarers reported stranded
Still debated
The waiver's end date is reported as August 16 or 17, and its renewal was undecided at recording. Oil and gas share figures for the Strait vary by source, and the war was ongoing and volatile, so no outcome is predicted.
