Trump Signals Willingness to End Iran War Without Reopening Strait of Hormuz

President reportedly tells aides he's prepared to walk away from conflict even if vital shipping route remains closed.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 8:54am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A fractured, abstract painting of the Strait of Hormuz in shades of blue, gray, and black, conveying the disruption and chaos caused by its closure.The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sparked a global energy crisis, with Trump now signaling he may walk away from the conflict without resolving the vital shipping route's status.Washington Today

According to a report, President Donald Trump is prepared to end military operations in Iran without resolving the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes. Trump has been making increasingly aggressive threats to escalate the conflict unless Iran reopens the strait, but has now reportedly told aides he is willing to walk away from the war even if the passage remains closed, marking a humiliating walkback for the president.

Why it matters

Trump's reported willingness to leave the Strait of Hormuz closed would represent a major defeat for the president, who has made the reopening of the vital shipping route a key objective of the conflict. It would also further suggest Trump has no clear plan to end the war he launched more than a month ago, potentially causing a global energy crisis if the closure continues.

The details

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has told aides he is willing to end military operations in the Middle East without resolving the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Any decision to leave the strait closed would mark a humiliating walkback for Trump, who has been making increasingly unhinged threats to escalate the conflict unless Tehran caves and reopens the narrow passage from the Persian Gulf. Walking away from trying to reopen the strait will also further suggest the erratic president has no clear plan to end the conflict.

  • Trump launched the conflict in Iran more than a month ago.
  • On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that unless the strait is 'immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalination plants!).'

The players

Donald Trump

The 79-year-old president who has been making increasingly aggressive threats to escalate the conflict with Iran unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.

Suzanne Maloney

An Iran expert and vice president at the Brookings Institution in Washington, who said Trump pulling out of Iran without reopening the strait would be 'unbelievably irresponsible.'

Marco Rubio

The Secretary of State who told Al Jazeera that U.S. military operations in Iran would be completed within a few weeks and that 'we'll make sure that it's open, one way or the other.'

Megyn Kelly

A conservative podcaster and one of MAGA's most outspoken critics of the Iran war, who mocked the contradictory statements coming from the Trump administration about the conflict.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“'Energy markets are inherently global, and there is no possibility of insulating the U.S. from the economic damage that is already occurring and will become exponentially worse if the closure of the strait continues.'”

— Suzanne Maloney, Iran expert and vice president at the Brookings Institution

“'the Strait of Hormuz will reopen one way or another'”

— Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

“'if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will …blow up…all of [Iran's] Electric Plants, Oil Wells & Kharg Island'”

— Donald Trump

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Trump's reported willingness to leave the Strait of Hormuz closed without resolving the crisis highlights the president's lack of a clear strategy for ending the conflict he initiated, potentially causing severe economic damage globally if the vital shipping route remains blocked.