Overview
- Trump, in an Axios interview Wednesday, rejected Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in return for lifting the U.S. port blockade and said the siege stays until a nuclear deal.
- He argued the blockade is “more effective than bombing” and said Iran is “choking like a stuffed pig,” casting the naval squeeze as leverage to force nuclear concessions.
- The White House briefed oil executives on plans to sustain the blockade for months, and AAA reports average U.S. gasoline now costs about $4.22 per gallon.
- Disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil, have pushed crude prices higher as traders price in longer delays.
- Escalation risks grew as Axios reported CENTCOM has a “short and powerful” strike option prepared and an Iranian state-linked source warned of “practical and unprecedented action” if the blockade continues.