ToplinePresident Donald Trump said the U.S. could “easily” reopen the Strait of Hormuz “with a little more time,” suggesting it could “take the oil” and “make a fortune,” though he didn’t elaborate on how the U.S. plans to achieve these objectives. President Donald Trump arrives to address the nation from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsTrump said a reopened strait “would be a ‘gusher’ for the world,” he wrote on Truth Social.Trump has made a series of conflicting statements about the strait—he’s criticized NATO allies for refusing to help reopen it while also saying the U.S. doesn’t need their help, and he’s said Iran must reopen the strait as a condition for ending the war, but has also said he believes it will “automatically” reopen. “We don’t use the strait, the United States, we don’t need it,” Trump told reporters on March 20, insisting countries that do use it will “have to get involved a little bit.”He said Wednesday during his primetime address, “when the conflict is over, the strait will open up naturally,” adding that other countries must “grab it and cherish it. They can do it easily.”Earlier in March, he claimed some U.S. allies would join a coalition to reopen the strait and “numerous countries” said “they’re on the way,” though the alleged plan never manifested and multiple countries, including France, the UK, Germany and Spain, rejected Trump’s claims.TangentIran said Saturday it would allow 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels through the strait in what Pakistani negotiators claimed was a positive sign toward reaching a peace agreement. Key BackgroundTrump has ramped up his aggressive rhetoric toward Iran while also insisting the U.S. is negotiating with Iran and the war is close to reaching an end. In his speech Wednesday, he sought to justify the war as polls consistently show Americans don’t support the operation, insisting the conflict would be over “shortly,” without explaining his endgame. Trump has said Iran’s military has been decimated, claimed regime change has been accomplished and the new regime has no desire or ability to possess a nuclear weapon, all of which wer stated objectives for the war at the onset, fueling uncertainty about why it continues. Meanwhile, Tehran and Washington have continued to give conflicting statements on the state of negotiations, with Iran rejecting Trump’s claims earlier this week that it asked for a ceasefire as “false and baseless.” Trump said the U.S. wouldn’t agree to a ceasefire and that the U.S. bombing campaign would continue unless the strait was opened.Further ReadingTrump Offers Few New Details On Iran War In Prime Time Speech—Dow Futures Drop By 500 Points (Forbes)Iran Allows 20 More Ships To Pass Through Strait Of Hormuz, Pakistan Says: ‘Meaningful Step Toward Peace’ (Forbes)Trump Flip-Flops On Iran’s Nuclear Prospects Again (Forbes)