But in many of his public statements over the Iran war, he’s yet to project the gravity and clarity of a more traditional wartime president. An economic crunch is worsening as oil prices soar after Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The same will be true if Iran retains highly enriched uranium it could use in a future nuclear program. Days after demanding US allies send ships to help open the Strait of Hormuz, he insisted he’d never wanted them. He’s suggested Iran was an imminent threat to the US without offering evidence.

Source: Egypt Independent March 18, 2026 14:31 UTC