The price of oil is already elevated because of the Iran conflict. Now a former U.S. Ambassador is publicly making the case that the American Navy could solve that problem — and fast.
Robert Braithwaite, former U.S. Ambassador to Norway, joined a panel discussion this week to lay out America’s options in the ongoing standoff with Iran. His message was direct: the United States Navy has the full capability to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and keep global oil markets stable. The only thing standing between that option and reality is political will.
“The United States Navy could run those straits,” Braithwaite said. “It’s political intent and national will.”
That’s not wishful thinking. The U.S. Navy is the most powerful maritime force in the history of the world. The 5th Fleet — headquartered in Bahrain — exists specifically to operate in the Persian Gulf. No navy on earth can stop American warships from escorting commercial tankers through the 21-mile-wide chokepoint Iran has been threatening to close.
And President Trump isn’t waiting around. He’s already applying maximum pressure on multiple fronts to make sure it doesn’t come to that.
Here’s What Trump Has Done in the Last Two Weeks Alone:
- Struck Iran’s Kharg Island on March 13 — the facility handling 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports — sending a clear message that Iran’s own economy is on the line
- Deployed the 82nd Airborne and two Marine Expeditionary Units to the Gulf region
- Told Iranian negotiators publicly to “get serious soon” on peace talks — or face consequences
- Maintained direct diplomatic back-channels with Tehran even as military pressure continues to build
The approach is classic Trump: maximum leverage, a genuine off-ramp for Iran, and a clear deadline. He’s not looking to occupy Iran — he’s looking to win without having to.
Braithwaite framed the stakes plainly. Iran has been fighting a shadow war against the United States for 47 years. A nuclear-armed Iran wouldn’t just be a regional threat — it would use that capability through proxies to hold the entire world hostage. That’s the war Trump is determined to end, not just pause.
The Navy option on the Strait isn’t a provocation. It’s a demonstration — that America’s military is ready, capable, and not going anywhere. If Iran wants to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz, the answer from the world’s greatest Navy is simple: go ahead and try.
Every day Trump finds a new way to make that choice look worse for Iran. That’s what winning looks like.