During the press conference, the question of the US’s plan for operationalising the Strait of Hormuz was raised. Both the Secretary of Defence and the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff responded optimistically to their intent to restore the flow of goods and ships through the strait.

Chief Den Caine said that he is ‘looking at options’ to put forth the necessary military conditions required to facilitate such a resumption. Given the state of war, it is essential to account for the potential costs and benefits, as well as the resources required to pull off this action.

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Similarly, by referring to Donald Trump’s social media post, Mr Pete Hegseth reiterated the threat to Iran against stopping the flow of oil through this route. Adding to these statements was the message by Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani. Building on literary tone, Larijani mentioned that the Strait of Hormuz can either be a “strait of peace” or a “strait of suffering.”

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This message was posted in six different languages and read as, “Strait of Hormuz will either be a Strait of peace and prosperity for all or will be a Strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers."

This war of words comes amid rising oil prices, tremendous instability in global markets, and the potential halt to the global supply chain of key energy resources, of which Hormuz accounts for a fifth of global oil supply.