Mattis warns US will ‘relinquish control’ of Strait of Hormuz if Trump ends war on Iran now
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Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday that the United States would effectively relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz if it ended its current war with Iran.
The waterway is important for global shipping, especially for the energy market, and has been a focus for Iranian and American forces since Tehran blocked the route since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iranian targets last month.
“Iran right now, if we declared victory, now they’re going to say they own the strait,” Mattis said Monday during CERAWeek in Houston. You will see the tribute of every passing ship.”
“We are in a difficult situation, folks. I can’t identify many options,” he added.
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Former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said ending the war in the Middle East would effectively free the Strait of Hormuz from Iran. (Chance Yeh/Getty Images for The Headstrong Project)
These words came when President Donald Trump announced that he would suspend military strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days.
In response to the attack, Iran effectively closed the strait, a narrow passage through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House.
Despite the temporary suspension, it is still doubtful that either side will reach an agreement, Matis said.
“Neither side has the power right now to remove the other side from where they are,” Mattis said. “Never in history has the power of the spirit alone changed a state.”
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President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the US could strike Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. (Aaron Schwartz/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel 2025 data via Getty Images)
I The Iranian Empire charges some tanks $2 million to pass on the road.
“Collecting $2 million as a toll for some boats crossing the river shows Iran’s strength,” Iranian lawyer Alaeddin Boroujerdi told the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) broadcaster on Sunday.
On Saturday, Trump warned that the US could target Iran’s energy infrastructure if the strait is not reopened within 48 hours.
“If Iran DOES FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will strike and destroy their ENERGY FACILITIES, STARTING MASSIVELY FIRST!” Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social.
The satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, an important sea route connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which is important for the world’s energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has made his position on the X clear, saying that the waterway is open to everyone, except for those who oppose Iran.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open to everyone except those who violate our soil,” he wrote. “We are firmly facing serious threats on the battlefield.”
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
