Why gaining full control of Strait of Hormuz has proven so hard for U.S.
Restoring oil tanker traffic in the vital Middle East shipping corridor to prewar levels likely will require a much bigger armada of U.S. warships if not tens of thousands of American troops on Iranian soil, experts say.
Updated on: July 14, 2026 / 7:01 AM EDT / CBS/AP
Washington — President Trump has been trying to force Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz for months, turning to everything from airstrikes and naval blockades to negotiations and threats to destroy a "whole civilization."
"Iran has been preparing for this type of asymmetric conflict for decades now," said Jason H. Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and a former Pentagon official. "I think they're starting to demonstrate why no other U.S. president since Reagan has elected to engage at this level of conflict with Iran, because they have that ability to completely disrupt the Strait of Hormuz."
Mr. Trump said Monday that the U.S. is reimposing its blockade on Iran's ports and will charge other ships for safe passage through the strait.
"We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving," the president posted on Truth Social Monday morning. "All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait."