Ever since Iran enforced the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the war in the Middle East, the world has been plunged into the worst oil crisis in history, with prices hurtling towards $200 a barrel.
For the past month, US President Donald Trump has shifted in his attitude towards reopening the vital waterway, through which around a fifth of the world’s daily oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply passes.
At the beginning of the conflict, the defiant US President insisted on the strait functioning as normal despite the Iranian attacks, assuring the world that the ‘United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH’ and that America would escort tankers safely through the passageway.
Soon, however, he lost patience, and issued the first of a series of increasingly furious ultimatums to the Islamic Republic, demanding the regime reopen the waterway or be ‘hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far’.
Before long, Nato entered Trump’s firing line, when he accused the Western alliance of being nothing more than a ‘PAPER TIGER!’ composed of ‘COWARDS’ for refusing to deploy their own warships to help escort vessels through the perilous passageway.
In a dramatic turn of events today, the President appeared to wash his hands of the Middle East crisis altogether, telling Sir Keir Starmer to ‘go get your own oil’ as Europe’s supplies dry up.
A timeline of his inflammatory remarks since the outbreak of war reveals his shifting views on the future of the crucial shipping lane.
February 28: Strait of Hormuz is open
The Strait of Hormuz is open and functioning normally – up until the point the US unleashed Operation Epic Fury at 9.45am. Restrictions on the passage start almost immediately.
On March 2, the IRGC officially confirms that the strait was closed to ‘unfriendly nations’, allowing only Iran-approved vessels to pass.
A commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says the Strait of Hormuz is closed and warns that any vessel attempting to pass through will be attacked and ‘set ablaze’.
March 3: US Navy escort for tankers ‘if necessary’
Trump announces immediate measures to secure maritime trade and warns of potential naval involvement
‘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,’ Trump said in a Truth Social post.
On March 2, the IRGC officially confirmed that the strait was closed to ‘unfriendly nations’, allowing only Iran-approved vessels to pass
March 9: Trump’s first ultimatum
Trump issues Iran a series of stark ultimatums focused on deterrence and retaliation through two consecutive Truth Social posts.
‘If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY! If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before. If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction!
‘Additionally, we are using the same Technology and Missile capabilities deployed against Drug Traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait. They will be dealt with quickly and violently. BEWARE!’
Although Trump previously downplayed the US reliance on the strait, he follows with an even more expansive threat tied directly to oil flows:
‘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.
‘Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them.’
Trump issues Iran a series of stark ultimatums on Truth Social
March 14: US will help countries that receive oil through strait
Trump declares victory, claiming the US has beaten Iran. Meanwhile, the US President shifts responsibility toward other nations that depend on the strait.
‘The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help A LOT!
‘The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be It will bring the World together toward Harmony, Security, and Everlasting Peace!’
March 15: Other countries should ‘take care’ of passage
Trump reinforces that message, calling on ‘countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait’ to ‘take care of that passage’ militarily.
He also speaks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the pair ‘discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping, which is driving up costs worldwide’.
A Downing Street spokeswoman says the two leaders ‘agreed to keep in touch’.
March 17: Nato’s ‘foolish mistake’
Several Nato countries including Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain, Estonia, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the EU reject Trump’s request to help reopen the waterway via naval escorts.
They cite lack of goals and reluctance to get drawn into the conflict, with German defence minister Boris Pistorius saying ‘this is not our war, we have not started it’.
Trump lashes out on March 17, criticising Nato and arguing that others should be grateful for US actions.
At a meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin at the White House, Trump says: ‘I think Nato is making a very foolish mistake,’ adding that ‘this was a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.’
He also argues that ‘everybody in the whole world should be very thankful’ for the US war on Iran and reiterated his disappointment with Nato and ‘a couple of other countries,’ without specifying which ones.
March 18: Trump questions American responsibility
Trump openly questions whether the United States should continue taking responsibility for the Strait at all.
‘I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?’ That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!’
Trump openly questions whether the United States should continue taking responsibility for the strait at all
March 20: Nato ‘cowards’ who don’t want to help
Trump again emphasises that other nations should take over policing the route.
‘The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it The United States does not! If asked, we will help these countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated.’
He also criticises Nato nations for refusing to assist, calling them cowards:
‘Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk,’ he wrote.
‘COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!’
Despite Trump’s demands, his European allies assert that they wouldn’t send naval escorts to help secure the passageway, citing safety concerns and the risk of escalating the conflict.
March 21: Second ultimatum
Trump imposes a strict deadline on Iran opening the strait, vowing severe consequences if they fail to meet it.
‘If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump imposes a strict deadline on Iran opening the strait, vowing severe consequences if they fail to meet it
March 23: ‘Me and the Ayatollah’ will control the passage
Trump postpones the 48-hour deadline, saying Iran has ‘one more chance’ and suggests talks are being explored.
At the same time, he floats an unusual proposal for the future of the strait.
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac of Palm Beach International Airport, the President said the strait would be ‘jointly controlled.’
‘It’ll be jointly controlled,’ he said, ‘Me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is, whoever the next Ayatollah [is].’
Trump then argued that no matter what, Iran’s next leader would represent ‘regime change’.
‘There’s automatically a regime change,’ the President added.
March 24: A ‘present’ from Iran
Trump says Iran gave the United States a ‘significant prize’ worth a ‘tremendous amount of money,’ adding that it was related to the Strait of Hormuz.
‘They did something yesterday that was amazing. Actually, they gave us a present, and the present arrived today, and it was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money,’ he told reporters in the Oval Office.
‘I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize, and they gave it to us…So that meant one thing to me, we’re dealing with the right people,’ he added.
‘It wasn’t nuclear related. It was oil and gas related, and it was a very nice thing they did,’ Trump said.
March 26: Nato has done ‘nothing to help’
Trump takes to Truth Social once again to blast Nato for doing nothing ‘to help with the lunatic nation’ of Iran
He adds that the US needs ‘nothing’ from Nato, but vowed to ‘”never forget” this important point in time’.
Meanwhile, Trump claims that Iran is letting 10 oil tankers transit the Strait of Hormuz as an apparent goodwill gesture in negotiations.
Trump made the comments at a cabinet meeting in the White House, elaborating on what he had previously described as a ‘present’ from Iran.
‘They said, to show you the fact that we’re real and solid and we’re there, we’re going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight boats, eight big boats of oil,’ Trump said. ‘I guess they were right, and they were real, and I think they were Pakistani-flagged… It ended up being 10 boats.’
Trump blasts Nato on Truth Social for failing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz
March 27: Deadline extended – again
Trump extends the deadline for Iran to open the Strait by 10 days, as he claims negotiations are ongoing.
‘As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,’ he said.
‘Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well.’
He later adds: ‘I gave them a 10-day period, they asked for seven. In a certain sense, we have already won.’
That same day at a speech in Miami, Trump refers to the Strait of Hormuz as ‘The Strait of Trump,’ in an apparent Freudian slip.
‘They have to open up the Strait of Trump I mean, Hormuz. Excuse me. Such a terrible mistake. The fake news will say, “He accidentally said —”. There are no accidents from me.’
March 30: Third ultimatum
Trump threatens to ‘completely obliterate’ Iran’s electric plants, oil wells, and desalination facilities if the strait was not ‘immediately’ reopened for business.
He vows to ‘blow up’ Iran’s water supply and electric grid unless the Islamic regime reopens the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran moves to tear up its nuclear treaty.
The President made the threat in a Truth Social post Monday morning, warning that if Iran refuses to sign a peace deal, the US would conclude the war by ‘blowing up and completely obliterating’ electric plants and oil wells across the country.
Trump said the US was in ‘serious discussions with a new, and more reasonable regime’ to end the war, adding that ‘great progress had been made’.
But he immediately followed up with an escalation, writing that if a deal could not be reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, then the US would strike Iran’s ‘electric generating plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinisation plants).’
March 31: Just ‘take it’… and ‘go get your own oil’
Trump’s position shifts again toward urging allies to act independently, while signalling the United States may step back.
‘All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.
‘You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!’
Meanwhile, a new report claims that Trump has signalled he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the chokepoint remains largely closed – and leave the complex operation to pry it open for a later date.
But the longer the strait remains shut, the more it will roil the global economy and surge gas prices, leaving multiple countries – including US allies – reeling from a dramatic downturn in energy supply.
