Trump’s Hormuz Moment: The Only Way Out Is Through

The Islamic Republic of Iran is repeating history. Including its own mistakes.

This week Iran claimed to have formally closed the Strait of Hormuz, the 21-mile-wide chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil flows every single day. Three more ships – the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree, the Japanese ONE Majesty, and the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth – were struck by “unknown projectiles,” which is almost certainly reporter-speak for Iranian missiles and drones on Wednesday. This brings the total number of vessels attacked since February 28 to at least 14.

Welcome back to the Persian Gulf, circa 1987. Back then, Iran targeted tankers carrying oil from countries supplying Saddam’s Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War, forcing the Reagan Administration to escort re-flagged Kuwaiti vessels under U.S. Navy protection — a confrontation that ended with American warships sinking a significant chunk of Iran’s fleet in a single day.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/12/trumps-hormuz-moment-the-only-way-out-is-through/