Trump’s Stance on the Strait of Hormuz
In a recent statement, President Trump announced that the U.S. will “occupy” the Strait of Hormuz following an airstrike on Iran. This comes in the wake of Iran’s assertions regarding the closure of the crucial waterway.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Trump, at 80, responded to inquiries about Iran’s claims by stating, “We’re occupying the straits. They don’t have anything. They don’t have anything.” He added that the U.S. would take strong action, emphasizing that they would serve as “the guardians of the straits,” humorously referring to them as “guardian angels.” Trump insisted that the U.S. should be compensated for providing that protection, arguing they had, until now, defended the strait without charge.
Prior to the start of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, nearly 20% of the world’s offshore oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz each year. Despite a ceasefire negotiated by the White House in early April and a memorandum of understanding established last month, the deal collapsed due to disagreements regarding the strait’s status and its global economic implications.
While Iran claims control over the waterway and asserts it may charge ships, U.S. military officials and Trump maintain that the strait is currently open.
“We had an agreement. We had an agreement, and they broke it,” Trump remarked, highlighting that Iran has a history of not adhering to agreements, citing multiple contracts that have been violated.
Over the weekend, U.S. forces conducted substantial strikes against around 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites and other key areas, marking a significant escalation in military action compared to previous weeks.
As Trump stated, “We’re getting them on the run. Most of their equipment is gone.” He added that U.S. forces were actively targeting any drones operated by Iran.
In response, Iran launched projectiles towards several countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. It’s unclear at this point if there were any injuries or damage reported by U.S. partner nations.
Tehran’s state media indicated that at least one individual was killed in a series of explosions from the latest strikes early Monday morning.
Sunday’s military actions are part of ongoing tensions following Iran’s attack on a container ship. Although Trump declared the ceasefire as “over” last week, efforts mediated by Egypt, Pakistan, and Qatar for a final agreement persist.
