Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday accused President Donald Trump of failing to anticipate the Strait of Hormuz crisis, saying the administration is now scrambling as oil prices rise and shipping remains snarled.<\/p>\n
Schumer Blasts Trump’s Hormuz Miscalculation<\/p>\n
On X, Schumer wrote, “A college student with a basic understanding of geopolitics could tell you that Iran\u2019s greatest leverage is this narrow passage through which a huge share of the world\u2019s oil must travel. And now the administration is scrambling to contain the damage and deal with rising oil prices.”<\/p>\n
How did Donald Trump not see the crisis with the Strait of Hormuz coming?<\/p>\n
A college student with a basic understanding of geopolitics could tell you that Iran’s greatest leverage is this narrow passage through which a huge share of the world’s oil must travel. And now the\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/my4CfpcDXb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Don’t Miss:<\/p>\n His remarks fit into a broader Democratic critique of Trump’s handling of the widening conflict with Iran and the blockade of a chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of global oil supply.<\/p>\n Mojtaba Escalates Threats In First Remarks<\/p>\n Schumer was reacting after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should continue as a “tool to pressure the enemy” in his first public statement since taking power.<\/p>\n In televised remarks carried by state media and reported by Reuters, Mojtaba also said U.S. military bases in the region should close immediately and warned that “those bases will be attacked.” He added that Iran “will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs,” after an attack on his father’s compound killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other close family members and left Mojtaba injured.<\/p>\n See Also:\u00a0Disney Was Built on Character IP \u2014 This Pre-IPO Company Is Using the Same Playbook<\/a><\/p>\n Oil Shock Deepens War’s Political Cost<\/p>\n Oil prices extended gains<\/a> after the statement, with Reuters reporting that shipping through Hormuz has effectively stopped since the war began and that Iran warned on Wednesday that crude could hit $200 a barrel. There are also no clear signs the U.S.-Israeli campaign is nearing an end, with air and sea attacks intensifying this week and Iran stepping up retaliatory strikes on tankers in or near the strait.<\/p>\n Trump told Fox News on Tuesday he was “disappointed” by Mojtaba’s selection and said, “I don’t believe he can live in peace.” Even so, Reuters has reported it remains unclear whether the White House is pursuing regime change as a formal objective, and recent intelligence assessments<\/a> suggest airstrikes alone are unlikely to unseat Iran’s leadership.<\/p>\n Read Next:\u00a0<\/p>\n Photo Courtesy: Bumble Dee On Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily<\/a>, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets.<\/p>\n Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga:<\/p>\n This article Chuck Schumer Asks How Did Trump Not See Strait Of Hormuz Crisis Coming Because Even A ‘College Student’ Would Have Figured It Out<\/a> originally appeared on Benzinga.com<\/a><\/p>\n