The spectrum of potential outcomes is way broader, and the outcome to fix the strait is not inevitable at this point,” one intelligence official said. Trump could send US troops to islands in the strait itself, which would provide strategic positioning to intercept Iranian boats or missiles. Logistically, it’s such a long shoreline, some 100 miles, that it’s difficult to do any one thing to effectively neuter the threat from Iran,” the intelligence official added. The island is internally viewed as a key leverage point that could, potentially, force Iran to agree to reopen the strait. Oil prices have continued to rise as the strait remains closed, with average gas prices in the US steadily ticking higher.

Source: CNN March 20, 2026 19:01 UTC