Donald Trump’s Strait of Hormuz strategy: What US President could be attempting to achieve

Donald Trump has shut down the world’s busiest oil waterway after failed peace talks with Iran. The latest update in the war between the US and Iran will have major global impacts, with Middle Eastern oil drastically cut off.

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them.

Mr Trump says there is no lack of oil supply, telling countries that have purchased oil that transits through the Strait to change where they buy and to come straight to the US.

In his move, there are three prominent goals he may be attempting to achieve.

Cut off Iran’s negotiation Trump card

Iran has long used the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining tool. The world needs it and Iran knows.

Around 34 per cent of maritime oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz when Iran is not at war or imposing restrictions, according to the International Energy Agency.

Now, with a blockade in place, Iran has been cut off from selling its oil or charging international carriers for safe passage.

If no ships are allowed in or out, Iran’s influence is cut off.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Mr Trump said that after extensive talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan, Tehran walked away from the negotiating table.

“I predict they come back and they give us everything we want,” Mr Trump said.

Destroy underwater mines

Iran says underwater mines have been placed in the Strait of Hormuz.

Although the US claims it has sunk most of Iran’s navy, smaller boats are understood to have remained intact through the initial days of Operation Epic Fury.

Those smaller boats are believed to have been used to place underwater mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

During the war, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to say: “If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.”

The mines create a nightmare issue for the Strait. Without exact clarity of a mine’s location, ships could make impact and be decimated, something most shipping companies are not happy to risk.

Narrow shipping lanes are believed to be the only current option to traverse the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, after the blockade has been announced, the US has confirmed it is going in to eliminate the underwater mine threat.

“US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, April 11, as two US Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

“USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM added: “Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce.”

When the mines are eventually removed, the US could use that as leverage against Iran or the world as ships flood back in.

Increase sales of US oil

Mr Trump had long campaigned to “drill, baby, drill,” an election promise that he said would unlock the “liquid gold” underneath the ground.

Since returning to office, Mr Trump also “took control” of Venezuela after the high-stakes operation that captured the country’s president and first lady.

Since then, Venezuela has “gifted” millions of barrels of oil to the US.

On the weekend, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to reveal that empty oil tankers were headed for the US.

“Massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers, some of ‌the largest anywhere in the World, are heading, right now, to the United States to load up with the best and ‘sweetest’ oil and gas anywhere in the World,” Mr Trump wrote.

During his address to the nation last week, Mr Trump shared his message to countries experiencing oil supply disruption.

“To those countries that can’t get fuel — many of which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves — I have a suggestion,” he began.

“Number one, buy oil from the United States of America; we have plenty. We have so much.

“And Number two, build up some delayed courage… Go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves. Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done.”