A satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that handles nearly 20 per cent of global oil and 25 per cent of liquefied natural gas exports. Photograph: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel DataCould the Strait of Hormuz remain closed after the US-Israel war on Iran ends? US president Donald Trump has told aides he is willing to end the US military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The report said Trump and his aides assessed that a mission to pry open the strait would push the conflict beyond his timeline of four to six weeks. The US is less directly reliant than Asia, which depends on Hormuz for 80-90 per cent of oil and liquefied natural gas it uses.

Source: The Irish Times March 31, 2026 22:31 UTC