Trump's Strait of Hormuz Gambit Falls Flat The latest development in the Iran crisis has all the hallmarks of a desperate attempt to salvage a failed policy: Donald Trump declaring the Strait of Hormuz "new U. S.
territory" on social media. This move is less an assertion of American power than a flailing effort to justify the administration's handling of the situation.
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the center of tensions between the US and Iran for months, with tanker traffic severely disrupted by Iranian mine attacks and drone strikes.