President Donald Trump said Friday the United States could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and “take the oil and make a fortune,” framing control of the world’s most critical energy chokepoint as both a strategic and economic opportunity.
The Strait carries roughly 20% of global oil supply. Traffic through the waterway has been severely disrupted as Iranian threats, vessel attacks, and collapsing insurance coverage have curtailed tanker movements. Tanker flows have stalled, and crude and product markets have repriced sharply higher as a result.
“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding the move would be a “gusher” for the world.
The comments add to a series of mixed signals from Washington on how—or whether—it intends to restore flows through the Strait. Earlier statements suggested the U.S. would not take the lead in securing the passage, instead calling on other countries to act.
The operational reality remains unchanged. The Strait is not blocked by a single obstacle that can be cleared quickly. It is a live conflict zone. Missile and drone strikes have targeted tankers, ports, and energy infrastructure across the region. Iran has threatened to continue to strike assets linked to U.S. interests, including energy and logistics networks.
Even after the Strait reopens, flows are unlikely to resume immediately. Shipping insurance, security risks, and physical damage to infrastructure would continue to disrupt the flow.
The market is already pricing that risk. Oil benchmarks have surged, and physical supply disruptions have tightened availability across multiple regions.
By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com
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