Before President Donald Trump decided to launch a preventive war against Iran on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas flowed to international markets, wasn’t an issue. Approximately 120-150 vessels transited the waterway every day. And while U.S. defense planners always knew an Iranian closure of the strait was a possibility, it was merely a hypothetical in peacetime.
Yet, as Iran weaponizes its own geography and deters shippers from traveling the strait, the Trump administration is now facing a situation whereby one of its chief adversaries is holding global energy prices hostage. This, combined with the latest Houthi threats against Saudi vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb off Yemen’s coast, has pushed global crude prices to more than $100 a barrel for the first time since May. Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is now the top U.S. objective, above and beyond containing Iran’s nuclear program.
Unfortunately for Trump, he doesn’t have many options for doing so. And the ones he does have aren’t good.
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