We could do this easily, but you should do it instead
At a moment when global energy markets tremble and 35 nations gather in urgent counsel, Donald Trump has cast the closure of the Strait of Hormuz not as a crisis to be resolved but as a fortune to be seized — then handed the bill to allies. His public declarations reveal an old tension in the human story of power: the distance between those who speak of action and those who must bear its consequences. While France and others counsel patience and diplomacy, the strait remains closed, a narrow passage carrying the weight of the world's appetite for oil.
- Iranian attacks using missiles, drones, and mines have effectively shut down one of the world's most critical energy corridors, sending oil prices climbing and rattling global markets.
- Trump's Truth Social post — urging the reopening of Hormuz and the extraction of Iranian oil — injected rhetorical fire into an already volatile diplomatic situation.
- In the same breath, Trump deflected responsibility onto Asian and European allies, naming South Korea, Japan, and China as countries that should bear the burden of any military operation.
- France's Macron flatly called a forcible reopening 'unrealistic,' warning that Iranian missile and drone capabilities make any military attempt during active combat deeply dangerous.
- Thirty-five nations convened by videoconference to chart a path forward, converging on a single conclusion: diplomacy, not force, is the only viable route — and only after the fighting stops.
On Friday, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to declare that the United States could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extract Iranian oil — easily, and at great profit. Written in his signature all-caps style, the post posed a rhetorical question about whether such a move would be a 'gusher for the world.' Yet in the same message, he suggested it was Asian and European countries, not the United States, that should actually carry out the effort.
The strait has become a chokepoint of global consequence. Iranian attacks on commercial shipping — using missiles, drones, speedboats, and mines — have paralyzed nearly all traffic through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans, driving oil prices upward and triggering an international diplomatic emergency. Thirty-five nations met by videoconference on Thursday to discuss how to restore passage.
Trump's posturing has grown more pointed throughout the week. At a White House Easter event, he named specific allies he believed should act: South Korea, Japan — which imports 90 percent of its oil through the strait — and even China. His logic was transactional: countries that depend on the passage should be the ones to defend it.
But allied governments are not following his lead. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking during a visit to South Korea, called a forcible reopening 'unrealistic' while combat continues, citing Iran's capacity to strike ships with precision weapons. The 35-nation coalition aligned around the same conclusion: wait for the fighting to end, then pursue a diplomatic solution.
The contrast is sharp. Trump sees opportunity — resources to seize, fortunes to be made. His allies see a problem to be carefully managed. The strait remains closed, prices remain high, and the only path anyone is seriously walking is the diplomatic one.
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that the United States could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extract Iranian oil if given more time—but in the same breath suggested that Asian and European countries ought to be the ones actually doing it. The message, written in his characteristic all-caps style, posed a rhetorical question: "With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, EXTRACT THE OIL AND MAKE A FORTUNE. WOULD THAT BE A 'GUSHER' FOR THE WORLD???" The statement marked a shift in tone from earlier in the week, when Trump had privately expressed a desire to continue military operations and seize Iranian petroleum reserves, while lamenting that Americans seemed unwilling to undertake such an effort.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans, has become a chokepoint in global energy markets. Iranian attacks on commercial shipping—using missiles, drones, speedboats, and mines—have effectively shut down nearly all traffic through the passage, sending oil prices climbing and threatening the flow of crude to markets worldwide. The blockade has created an urgent diplomatic crisis, prompting 35 nations to convene by videoconference on Thursday to discuss how to restore passage through the channel.
Trump's public posturing stands in stark contrast to the cautious approach being taken by allied governments. On Wednesday, he had declared that Americans "don't need" the strait, but that countries dependent on it "should grab it and preserve it." At an Easter event at the White House, he went further, naming specific allies he believed should shoulder the burden. "Let South Korea do it," he said, noting that the United States has 45,000 troops stationed there near a nuclear-armed adversary. "Let Japan do it. They get 90 percent of their oil from the strait. Let China do it."
France's president, Emmanuel Macron, offered a blunt assessment of the military option during a visit to South Korea. Reopening the strait by force while combat continues would be "unrealistic," he said, because it would expose Iranian naval forces to sustained attacks. "We do not believe we can free it or open it by force," Macron stated. The consensus among the 35 nations that met on Thursday was to pursue diplomatic channels—specifically, to wait for fighting to end before attempting any reopening of the waterway.
The gap between Trump's bravado and the cautious realism of allied capitals reflects a deeper tension in how the United States and its partners view the crisis. Trump frames the situation as an opportunity—a chance to seize resources and profit. His allies see it as a problem to be managed through negotiation once the immediate conflict subsides. No country has shown willingness to attempt a forcible reopening while Iranian forces remain capable of striking ships with precision weapons. The strait remains closed, oil prices remain elevated, and the diplomatic path forward remains the only one anyone is seriously considering.
Notable Quotes
With a little more time, we can easily open the strait, extract the oil and make a fortune— Donald Trump, Truth Social post
We do not believe we can free it or open it by force— Emmanuel Macron, French president
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would Trump suggest the US could do something easily and then immediately say other countries should do it instead?
Because he's trying to have it both ways—projecting American power and capability while avoiding the actual commitment. It's a rhetorical move: we *could* do this, but you should.
And the allies aren't buying that argument?
Not at all. Macron was direct about it. He said forcing the strait open while fighting continues would be suicide for whoever tries it. Iranian missiles and drones make it too dangerous.
So why does Trump keep bringing up the oil?
Because to him, the strait isn't primarily a shipping problem or a geopolitical crisis. It's an asset. He sees Iranian oil as something to be extracted and monetized. That's how he frames opportunity.
But the 35 countries meeting—they're not thinking about extraction?
No. They're thinking about how to restore normal commerce once the fighting stops. That's a completely different problem. One is about war and plunder. The other is about restoring a critical global artery.
Does Trump's position actually change anything on the ground?
Probably not. The strait stays closed because Iran can close it. No amount of American bluster changes the military reality that any attempt to force it open would be costly and risky. The diplomatic track is the only realistic one, and Trump's rhetoric doesn't accelerate that.