Questions rise as US claims deeper control of Strait of Hormuz

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The Hill's Headlines — August 22, 2026

The Hill's Headlines — August 22, 2026

How much oil is actually getting through the Strait of Hormuz? And is the reward for the Pentagon worth the resources it is expending?

Those are some of the key outstanding questions as the Trump administration touts some success in steering tankers through a southern channel of the strait along the coast of Oman.

The operation has allowed the U.S. to claw back some control from Iran over the passage, which has been largely closed since late February. But these efforts require significant resources from the Pentagon, and the reward is just a fraction of gain in the amount of oil traversing the strait compared to pre-war levels.

The administration’s latest measures appear to have at least prevented global oil prices form jumping even higher, though the Brent crude price stood at $94.39 going into this week — up from where it had begun the week prior.

It has not alleviated the pressures Republicans are feeling over the economy and the issue of affordability as the midterm elections in November inch closer.

Petras Katinas, a research fellow in energy and defense with the Royal United Services Institute, said Friday that only three or four vessels have passed through the strait on a daily basis in the month of August — far below the numbers in February, when 35 ships passed inbound and 39 outbound. 

U.S. officials, however, told Axios that 40 tankers traversed the waterway Friday night through the southern channel off Oman. They also said the effort had facilitated........

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