Opinion

Trump’s Strait showdown: Five bold moves to crush the Iran threat now

Control of the Strait of Hormuz is a top geopolitical prize, and one of the core objectives of Operation Epic Fury

By Rebecca Grant Fox News

Published March 18, 2026 5:00am EDT

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Trump presses NATO allies to help reopen Strait of Hormuz

Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt discusses President Donald Trump’s push to rally global support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the Iran conflict escalates on ‘America Reports.’

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"It won’t be long now."  That was President Donald J. Trump, speaking on the timeline for commercial traffic to flow again through the Strait of Hormuz at the White House on Tuesday.  U.S. forces are "knocking the hell out of the coast," Trump said. "As soon as that war is over, which it will be soon, prices are going to drop like a rock," he added.  "You watch."

Control of the Strait of Hormuz is a top geopolitical prize, and one of the core objectives of Operation Epic Fury. On a good day, 130 ships transit the Strait every 24 hours, moving cargo and about 20 million barrels of oil products.  Currently, about 6 million barrels per day of oil from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have been rerouted to Red Sea pipelines. 

China takes 40% of the oil flowing through the Strait.  All told, 89% of the oil transiting the Strait goes to Asian markets.  In contrast, U.S. crude oil imports coming through the Strait of Hormuz are at a 40-year low, accounting for just 2% of U.S. petroleum liquids consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

You can see the potential for leverage with China. 

MULTIPLE ALLIES DECLINE US CALLS FOR STRAIT OF HORMUZ SUPPORT AMID RISING MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS

From March 1 to 9, only an estimated 10 tankers and 39 cargo........

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