When we first reported the news of Qassam Suleimani's assassination, one of the first things we showed was the placement of US naval ship around the globe, emphasizing the location of aircraft carrier CVN 75 "Harry Truman" which is currently located just off the Straits of Hormuz in the Gulf of Mexico (and may or may not have been instrumental in the Baghdad airport strike that took out Suleimani).

So why was one of the only two US carriers currently deployed in immediate proximity to the Straits of Hormuz?

Simple: the tiny strait represents the most important choke point for global energy flows, with roughly third of all seaborne traded oil flowing through the Strait daily...

... and is also why speculation is rife that if an enraged Iran really wants to retaliate against the US, its primary goal may be to shut down the strait (even if Iran ally China would strenuously object), which in turn would result in a worst case scenario for the global economy, potentially sending oil as high as $150 according to to Capital Economics, and tipping the world into recession.

Below we repost a fast take from CapEcon on its views on "Soleimani’s death and the threat of US-Iran war":