The message Washington is trying to send is increasingly clear: Iran may still be able to threaten Hormuz, but it will become progressively harder for Tehran to stop everyone else’s oil while exporting its own.
Trump’s new 3-pronged strategy
Bomb Iran’s Hormuz defences: Nearly 60 military targets hit around the strait on Tuesday, including radar, air defences, maritime assets, communications and mine-laying capabilities. US officials say Iran can rebuild some systems, requiring repeated strikes.
Protect the world’s oil: US forces escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels through Hormuz — a wartime high — while fighting off drones and neutralising anti-ship missiles. Pre-war flows were roughly 20 million barrels a day.
Squeeze Tehran economically: Iran has gone about seven weeks without meaningful crude exports through Hormuz, with loadings plunging from about 2 million bpd in March to 220,000–255,000 bpd in August. At the same time, Washington is intensifying sanctions, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signalling fresh action against banks and other entities doing business with Iran and the IRGC.
The big question: Can relentless strikes + safer shipping + an oil blockade + tougher sanctions inflict enough pressure to force Tehran to compromise — or will Iran keep rebuilding and retaliating?
The nuclear mission takes a back seat
A Senior Associate Editor with more than 30 years in the media, Stephen N.R. curates, edits and publishes impactful stories for Gulf News — both in print and online — focusing on Middle East politics, student issues and explainers on global topics.
Stephen has spent most of his career in journalism, working behind the scenes — shaping headlines, editing copy and putting together newspaper pages with precision.
For the past many years, he has brought that same dedication to the Gulf News digital team, where he curates stories, crafts explainers and helps keep both the web and print editions sharp and engaging.