Trump warns Iran against blocking oil shipments through critical strait

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — President Donald Trump warned Iran on Monday against blocking oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, a Middle Eastern passage through which a fifth of the world’s petroleum travels.

He said in a social media post that “Death, Fire, and Fury” would “reign upon” assets essential to the country.

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The National News Desk requested comment from Iran’s foreign ministry but hasn’t received a response. The country’s top national security official, Ali Larijani, said in an X post on Tuesday, though, that the passage “will either be a Strait of peace and prosperity for all or will be a Strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers.”

Tankers have stopped traveling through the channel since the beginning of the war, when the U.S. and Israel ignited a regional conflict with a fatal strike against Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

A senior official with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian security force, told state media days after the attack that the military would destroy any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The strait is closed,” Ebrahim Jabari, senior advisor to the IRGC’s commander-in-chief, reportedly said.

“If anyone tried to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze.”

Oil prices have since spiked. On Sunday, the benchmark Brent crude surpassed $100 a barrel for the first time since the pandemic, leading gas prices to rise across the U.S.

Trump has described the higher costs as a “very small price to pay,” but Americans, who cited the economy as their biggest concern in the 2024 elections, may punish him in the November midterms. House Republicans are poised to lose their majority, and Democrats may also be in reach of the Senate.

John Thune, the Senate majority leader, told reporters on Monday that he’s always concerned about oil and gas prices.

“The price of gas is always a benchmark. It’s something everybody pays attention to,” Thune said, according to The Hill.

“Hopefully the operations in Iran will be such that there … won’t be an extended situation in which things start moving again and shipping lanes get opened up again,” he added. “Hopefully things will settle down.”

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.