US could end war without Strait of Hormuz reopening - report
By Abigail Townsend
Date: Tuesday 31 Mar 2026
LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Donald Trump has told aides he is happy to end America's war in the Middle East without the Strait of Hormuz reopening, it was reported on Tuesday, in an apparent contradiction to earlier remarks by the US president.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy Iran's critical infrastructure if the waterway is not reopened.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, he said: "If the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business', we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plans, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinisation plants!), which we have purposefully not yet 'touched'."
Around 90% of Iran's oil exports pass through Kharg Island, a small rocky outpost in the northern Gulf.
However, just 24 hours later and the president has reportedly told aides that any mission to force the waterway to reopen risked the conflict lasting longer than his desired timeline of between four to six weeks. The US first attacked Iran a little over four weeks ago.
As a result, Trump has decided that should the US successfully curtail Iran's navy and deplete its missile stocks, that alone would allow the hostilities to be wound down, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed administration officials.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US was working towards reopening the strait, but did not list it as a core military objective. She also insisted talks between the US and Iran were progressing, contrary to denials from Tehran.
Around 20% of the world's oil is carried through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and United Arab Emirates. But with Iran attacking vessels as part of the conflict, it is now deemed too dangerous to pass for nearly all ships, leaving numerous tankers stranded and weighing heavily on global supplies of both oil and gas.
Benchmark Brent crude was trading at $114.16 a barrel as at 1045 BST, while West Texas Intermediate was at $102.34.
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