Trump is increasingly desperate to reopen the strait as the economic shock starts to be felt around the world. But Tom Sharpe, who served in the Navy for over 25 years, said it would not be possible to open the Strait of Hormuz by force. “I think what Iran has shown so far in this conflict is that it is much harder [to do that] over the Strait of Hormuz. “Right now, they’re achieving their own stakes – I’m not saying they’re winning, but they’re achieving their own stakes; control of the Strait, control of the economy to an extent and regime survival. “It’s not in their interests right now to change this.”Sharpe also questioned Trump’s previous calls for a naval coalition to deploy warships to the strait to force it open.

Source: Huffington Post March 31, 2026 10:15 UTC