Trump’s Flip-Flop on Strait of Hormuz: From Demands to Control Claims

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered another stern demand at a Pentagon press conference, urging European allies to take greater responsibility in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. His plea echoed a familiar refrain: “This should not be America’s fight alone.”

Hegseth emphasized that the U.S. uses the strait minimally, stating, “We barely use the Strait of Hormuz. . . . [The Europeans] need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do, and might want to start doing less talking and having fancy conferences in Europe and getting on a boat.”

Sure, he’s said some variation of this fifty times over the last month—but maybe he just wasn’t petulant enough before.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the Strait of Hormuz has taken a dramatic turn. On March 21, he threatened to “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the strait was not “FULLY OPEN” within 48 hours. The deadline passed without compliance, and by April 5 (Easter Sunday), Trump’s patience wore thin. He declared:

“April 7 would be ‘Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

The deadline of April 7 came and went, and the strait remained closed. Iran did not comply, and the waterway stayed shut. Yet Trump’s tone shifted abruptly. By April 22, he adopted a baffled commentator’s persona, tweeting:

“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting between the ‘Hardliners,’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!”

Trump then asserted U.S. dominance over the strait, claiming:

“We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is ‘Sealed up Tight,’ until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

This reversal—from demanding the strait’s reopening to claiming control over its closure—has left observers questioning the administration’s strategy. As Ralph Waldo Emerson noted in 1841, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” Trump, however, has dismissed such critiques, insisting his approach is part of a sophisticated, multi-dimensional geopolitical game.