Conflicts

LISA DAFTARI: Hormuz whiplash proves Tehran can't honor any deal it signs

Op-ed warns Washington must stop treating diplomacy as an end in itself and focus on weakening the regime's grip

By Lisa Daftari Fox News

Published April 18, 2026 6:42pm EDT

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Trump warns Iran it ‘can’t blackmail’ US with Hormuz closure

Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan reports on Iran’s renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz and President Donald Trump’s warning that the U.S. will not be blackmailed as tensions escalate on ‘Fox Report.’

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Iran’s regime just told us everything we need to know.

Within days, Tehran went from signaling that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to threatening to close it. That reversal is a reminder that the regime cannot be trusted to uphold any deal it signs because its strategy depends on constant threats and keeping the world off balance.

The issue isn’t what they say. It’s who’s really in charge.

Iran’s regime does not operate as a normal state. Its leaders often signal calm to ease pressure or buy time. But the real authority sits with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC controls the missiles, the proxy networks, and the ability to disrupt global shipping. When it matters, they decide.

PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL 'ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS

And they benefit from instability.

The Strait of........

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