Opinion: Trump Is Making the U.S. More Vulnerable to Oil Shocks

March 9, 2026

The American-Israeli war on Iran has spiked oil prices, as tankers hesitate to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean through which some 20 percent of global oil trade passes. To keep oil flowing from the region, President Trump has promised U.S. naval protection to ships traveling through the strait, if necessary.