{"id":2581576,"date":"2026-03-19T06:54:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T10:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-fixates-on-strait-of-hormuz-as-he-eyes-off-ramp-for-iran-war\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T06:59:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T10:59:12","slug":"trump-fixates-on-strait-of-hormuz-as-he-eyes-off-ramp-for-iran-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-fixates-on-strait-of-hormuz-as-he-eyes-off-ramp-for-iran-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump fixates on Strait of Hormuz as he eyes off-ramp for Iran war"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-fixates-on-strait-of-hormuz-as-he-eyes-off-ramp-for-iran-war%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2581576&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article explains that President Trump\u2019s Iran war strategy is increasingly centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the open sea adn a critical route for about 20-21 million barrels of oil daily. Iran\u2019s attacks on ships in the region have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gas-prices-break-record-but-diesel-prices-will-greatly-affect-all-americans-and-the-world\/\" title=\"Gas Prices Break Record, but Diesel Prices Will Greatly Affect All Americans \u2013 And the World\">disrupted supply chains<\/a>,prompting talk of a U.S. military mission to open the strait and potentially target Iran\u2019s coastal defenses, ports, and jetty infrastructure. The piece emphasizes how the strait\u2019s importance has grown as the Iran-Iraq war era and how securing it would involve elaborate regional and international dynamics, including the roles and willingness of U.S. allies and partners.<\/p>\n<p>The content notes mixed responses from Europe and other allies, with some like the UAE and France showing support while European leaders remain cautious, and Trump openly criticizing NATO and allied governments for not backing the effort. Thinkers quoted in the article argue that allied hesitation reflects broader strategic tensions and varying national interests, though others say allied help is essential for maintaining free maritime trade. The piece also discusses broader geopolitical implications, including potential divisions of labor between Europe and the U.S., Japan\u2019s energy dependence on Persian Gulf oil, and China\u2019s paradoxical reliance on Hormuz for oil despite enabling Iran\u2019s capabilities. Additionally,it touches on economic factors,such as Trump suspending the Jones Act to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trevor-noah-bidens-presidency-could-hinge-on-rising-gas-prices\/\" title=\"Trevor Noah: Biden\u2019s Presidency Could Hinge On Rising Gas Prices\">address rising gas prices<\/a> while the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >broader security situation remains unsettled<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump fixates on Strait of Hormuz as he eyes off-ramp for Iran war<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2536790\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> Iran war campaign is increasingly hinging on a waterway of which most Americans have never heard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/strait-of-hormuz\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"21488\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and, at its narrowest, is 24 miles wide, is considered the world&rsquo;s most important maritime chokepoint because about 20 to 21 million barrels of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/oil\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"292\">crude oil <\/a>and petroleum products pass through it every day, supplying approximately one-fifth of the world&rsquo;s oil consumption.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4496992\/trump-south-pars-gas-field-iran-israel-qatar-lng\/\">Trump vows to destroy &#8216;entirety&#8217; of South Pars gas field if Iran strikes Qatari LNG again<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4496932\/joe-kent-israel-trump-iran-war\/\">Joe Kent says Israeli talking points &#8216;laundered&#8217; through media informed Trump on Iran<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4496534\/left-leaning-countries-dont-want-help-trump-guy-benson\/\">&#8216;Left-leaning&#8217; countries don&#8217;t want to be seen as &#8216;helping&#8217; Trump: Guy Benson<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>But <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\">Iran&rsquo;s<\/a> attacks on ships using the strait that are not its own have stopped that supply of oil, even fertilizer, upending those and other markets around the world.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is no victory lap to be had that does not go through the Strait of Hormuz, which is the priority mission,&rdquo; Foundation for Defense of Democracies Iran program senior director Behnam Ben Taleblu told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Before we discuss what to do after is the fact that it is &lsquo;closed&rsquo; today and that means that it will take a U.S. military mission to open it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Taleblu underscored how the importance of the Strait of Hormuz has only escalated since the Iran-<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iraq\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"101\">Iraq<\/a> war of the 1980s because of the Iranian regime&rsquo;s asymmetric military and maritime strategies, including fast-attack water craft, drones, and mines.<\/p>\n<p>A U.S. mission in the Strait of Hormuz would likely include military targeting of Iran&rsquo;s coastal defense assets, ports, and jetties for &ldquo;the speed boats and the smaller vessels that lay mines,&rdquo; Taleblu added.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently understanding the stakes, Trump has been <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4492737\/trump-nato-allies-ran-war\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4492737\">criticizing allies<\/a> for their lack of support with the Strait of Hormuz after spending last weekend trying to create a coalition to help him secure the waterway.<\/p>\n<p>Trump on Wednesday took to social media to &ldquo;wonder what would happen if we &lsquo;finished off&rsquo; what&rsquo;s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it&hellip; be responsible for&rdquo; the Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That would get some of our non-responsive &lsquo;Allies&rsquo; in gear, and fast!!!&rdquo; he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>American Enterprise Institute foreign and defense policy senior fellow Danielle Pletka agreed with Trump&rsquo;s more aggressive strategy regarding the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our allies&rsquo; failure to help us is an outrage,&rdquo; Pletka told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;They bleat at us about <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"82\">Ukraine<\/a>, which is on their doorstep, while Iran has killed more Americans &ndash; and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/europe\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"81\">Europeans<\/a> &ndash; over the last half century than almost any other nation. And yet, these so-called allies can&rsquo;t see past their derangement to protect either the free world or their own economic interests.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>She said, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a disastrous mistake on their part and plays directly into the hands of people who don&rsquo;t believe in the importance of our alliances.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For the Foundation for Defense of Democracies&rsquo; Taleblu, the resistance of allies to Trump&rsquo;s strategy in the Strait of Hormuz is an example of where &ldquo;style has a substance of its own.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That is because &ldquo;there&rsquo;s countries that have previously supported maritime security initiatives in that region that are not supporting this one,&rdquo; from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/european-union\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1177\">European Union<\/a> to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/australia\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1406\">Australia<\/a>, due to different priorities and capabilities, despite &ldquo;philosophically&rdquo; being for free maritime commerce, according to Taleblu.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be unlikely in an era when many of our allies are taxed to the max with challenges, for example, on the European continent and in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/asia\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2545\">Asia<\/a>, that they might be able to do this,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Taleblu contended there could be opportunities with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/japan\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"593\">Japan<\/a>, for one, because Japan is &ldquo;still reliant on Persian Gulf energy.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8767\">White House<\/a> on Thursday for meetings, a visit on Trump&rsquo;s agenda before the start of the Iran war.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The interesting thing here to note is that, rather than have a tiff with Europe, there could be a real division of labor vis-a-vis Europe,&rdquo; Taleblu said.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Europe could lead the world&rsquo;s response to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\">Russia&rsquo;s <\/a>war in Ukraine, and the U.S. could do the same in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/middle-east\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"102\">Middle East<\/a>, Taleblu continued.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an open question as to what Europe can meaningfully contribute to this mission,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You would want regional countries to support it, and that&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s big news that the[[<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/united-arab-emirates\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"215\">United Arab Emirates<\/a>]would indeed be stepping up to support this.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The UAE this week indicated it could support the U.S. with the Strait of Hormuz, as has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/france\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"387\">France<\/a>, though President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/emmanuel-macron\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1303\">Emmanuel Macron<\/a> has also indicated France is unlikely to do so until the situation is &ldquo;calmer.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior adviser Richard Goldberg conveyed confidence that the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz would be, in Macron&rsquo;s words, &ldquo;calmer&rdquo; soon.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a matter of time for the military objectives to be achieved and assets to be redirected to the escort mission,&rdquo; Goldberg, who was previously a White House National Energy Dominance Council senior counselor and the White House <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-security-council\/\">National Security Council&rsquo;s<\/a> director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;At that point, the Iranian threat will be so reduced alongside a surge in U.S. and hopefully allied defense and the availability of insurance, tankers will start moving.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But Goldberg was cognizant of the &ldquo;strategic tensions&rdquo; regarding the Strait of Hormuz because the U.S. &ldquo;no longer depends on the Arabian Gulf for energy, but still has to respond to the price impacts for traded commodities.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;European and Asian democracies, on the other hand, are facing both supply and price impacts, but enjoy a free-rider status in the United States doing the heavy lifting to restore tanker flow,&rdquo; Goldberg said. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\">China&rsquo;s<\/a> role in all of this is also filled with contradictions. China depends on the Strait of Hormuz for half its imported oil, yet it is also the chief enabler of Iran&rsquo;s military capability to threaten the strait and impede its own imports,&rdquo; Goldberg continued. &ldquo;And this tension is important to evaluating what China&rsquo;s future role might be in the region because the real issue is whether the U.S. Navy will have the undeterred ability to cut off Beijing&rsquo;s oil supply in a wartime scenario.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mindful of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/economy\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8768\">economic<\/a> and, as a result, political importance of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump on Wednesday suspended the Jones Act, a law that requires goods to be transported between domestic ports on U.S. ships, for two months as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-inflation-farm-bureau-says-thanksgiving-dinner-will-cost-14-more-this-year\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s Inflation: Farm Bureau Says Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost 14% More This Year\">national average cost<\/a> for a gallon of regular <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gas\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1487\">gas<\/a> rose to more than $3.84 compared to the $2.98 average before the start of the war.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4495036\/trump-nato-complaints-iran-war-distaste-multilateralism\/\"><strong>TRUMP&rsquo;S NATO COMPLAINTS OVER IRAN WAR UNDERSCORE DISTASTE FOR MULTILATERALISM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trump earlier this week criticized NATO allies, specifically the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/united-kingdom\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"547\">United Kingdom<\/a>, and the likes of Japan, Australia, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-korea\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2221\">South Korea<\/a>, for not supporting the U.S. with the Strait of Hormuz before telling them he no longer needed their help.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us,&rdquo; he told reporters. &ldquo;This was a great test because we don&rsquo;t need them, but they should have been there.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump fixates on Hormuz as off-ramp for Iran war<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2652,"featured_media":2581577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26014749677489.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[76117,3823,57321,3634,50434],"class_list":["post-2581576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-exit-strategy","tag-iran","tag-strait-of-hormuz","tag-trump","tag-war-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26014749677489.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2652"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581576"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581580,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581576\/revisions\/2581580"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2581577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}