Trump Threatens To Take Over Strait Of Hormuz If Iran Tries "Anything Cute"

US President Donald Trump has threatened to take over the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz if Iran tries anything "cute" and attacks more American and Israeli targets in the Middle East. The warning came after oil prices briefly shot to their highest level since 2022 shortly after Iran selected Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as Iran's supreme leader. Commercial shipping through the strait, through which about 20 per cent of the global oil supply flows, has effectively ground to a halt. 

But prices later fell, and US stocks rose on hopes that the war with Iran may not last much longer after Trump said the military action against Iran is "going to be a short-term excursion." 

What Trump Said

"I think the war is very complete, pretty much," Trump told CBS News in a phone interview.

"[Iran has] no navy, no communications, they've got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones," he said. 

According to the US military, it has struck more than 5,000 Iranian targets in the first week of operations.

"If you look, they have nothing left. There's nothing left in a military sense," Trump claimed.

The US president also threatened Iran that it could take over the Strait of Hormuz if Tehran inhibits the waterway.

"They've shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it's going to be the end of that country. … If they do anything bad, that would be the end of Iran, and you'd never hear the name again," he added, noting the strait is open now and claiming ships have been entering it. 

Trump's Strait of Hormuz Worries

Iran's attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have all but stopped tankers from using the shipping lane through which a fifth of the world's oil is carried, and Iranian drones and missiles have targeted oil and gas infrastructure in major producers. Attacks on merchant ships near the strait have killed at least seven mariners, according to the International Maritime Organisation.

Later, Trump also posted on social media, "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."

The US stock market careened through a manic on Monday, going from a steep early loss to a solid gain as worries turned into hope that the war with Iran may not last that long. Oil prices whipped from nearly $120 per barrel, the highest since 2022, back toward $90.

The war in Iran has choked off major supplies of oil and gas to world markets and sent fuel prices rising across the US. The fighting has also led foreigners to flee from business hubs and prompted millions to seek shelter as bombs hit military bases, government buildings, oil and water installations, hotels and at least one school.

Trump also had a call on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war and other issues. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Putin "voiced a few ideas regarding a quick political and diplomatic settlement" of the conflict following his conversations with Gulf leaders and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.