At the narrow throat of the Persian Gulf, where nearly a fifth of the world's oil passes each day, two powers are locked in a contest of will and words. President Trump declared American dominion over the Strait of Hormuz; Iran answered that the waterway remains closed until its demands — an end to hostilities, the release of frozen assets, and regional ceasefires — are honored. The confrontation is not merely about a shipping lane but about who holds the authority to define order in one of the world's most consequential corridors, and whether that authority can be asserted by declaration alon