The top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is probing whether the Trump administration adequately planned for the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has roiled energy markets for weeks as the war with Iran drags on.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., in a letter dated Tuesday to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, shared exclusively with CNBC, demanded answers to a series of questions about how the administration prepared for the closure of the strait ahead of launching the war with Iran. The Islamic Republic has effectively closed the strait since the beginning of the conflict.
“I am deeply concerned that the President’s decision to wage a reckless war on Iran will wreak havoc on energy markets for the foreseeable future — driving up energy costs for Americans across the country and causing global economic turmoil,” Heinrich said in the letter. “The Administration dismissed or failed to fully appreciate the impact the closure of the Strait would have on domestic energy and household costs when it rushed into war with Iran and lacks a coherent strategy to end the war and stabilize domestic and global energy markets.”
Iran’s stranglehold on traffic in the strait has been one of the administration’s biggest liabilities amid the war effort. Earlier this week, the U.S. began blockading Iranian ports in an attempt to pressure the Iranians to allow tankers to pass through. Meanwhile, gas prices remain over $4 a gallon on average in the U.S. just months before the 2026 midterm elections, which could threaten President Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s grip on power.
