When Nasser closed the Strait of Tiran in 1967 (Six Day War) and then closed the Suez Canal for eight years, ships had to go all the way around Africa, creating massive oil cost increases for countries importing through those routes and forcing Britain's withdrawal from the Middle East because it could no longer afford the energy costs of maintaining imperial presence.
causalpending
Speaker
Helen ThompsonEvidence Quote
“from 1967, the British government concludes it can no longer stay in the Middle East. It can no longer carry on being an imperial power there because suddenly the oil costs that Britain faces in the wake of the Six Day War where it's also subject to embargo, a much greater.”
Source
Helen Thompson: "The Complex History of Energy and Geopolitics" | The Great Simplification #98— Nate HagensCreated: 8/12/2026, 6:08:12 PM
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