It came as little surprise that, in response to Operation Epic Fury, there quickly followed reports that Iran was threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. As our Ward Clark noted at the time:
The Strait of Hormuz is a major shipping lane and a critical bottleneck connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Iran controls the northern shore of the strait, while the southern side is formed by the Musandam Peninsula, belonging to Oman, with nearby coastline also held by the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates, we might note, are probably peeved at having been the apparent target of Iranian missiles, despite them not having been involved in the American/Israeli operations.
And while those initial reports were just that, they soon were followed by reports of explosives and electronic attacks significantly affecting shipping in the region.
READ MORE: Report: U.K. Royal Navy Trade Org Says Iran Is Threatening to Close Strait of Hormuz
On Tuesday, President Trump took to Truth Social and announced a counter-offensive:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 3, 2026
Effective IMMEDIATELY, I have ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf. This will be available to all Shipping Lines. If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD. The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH — More actions to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
And the announcement seemed to have at least some of the desired effect:
The White House will offer naval escorts and political risk insurance for oil and gas tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, in a bid to cool energy prices that have surged since Iran warned it would attack ships at the choke point.
The announcement brought some immediate relief to the overheated crude oil market, curbing the rally that had added more than $10 a barrel of oil since the U.S. and Israel began launching strikes against Iran on Saturday. Still, energy markets remain nervous that key oil and gas assets in the Persian Gulf may be targeted by Tehran.
How this will play out long-term obviously remains to be seen, but at first blush, this appears to be a wise counter-measure.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated post-publication for clarity.
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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