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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday predicted President Trump will take the Strait of Hormuz “by force” from Iran if negotiations fail to result in a long-term peace deal between the two countries.
He also predicted that if that happens, the U.S. will charge a fee for ships going through the Strait, which Iran cut off during the war with the U.S.
“Here’s what I think will happen next. If this deal fails, President Trump is going to take the Strait of Hormuz over by force. The United States will control the Strait of Hormuz. We’ll charge a fee for all those who go through- through to pay for the operation…,” Graham said during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“And if Iran contests control of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States, we will obliterate them. So, to all the people listening, if this diplomatic effort fails, President Trump is going to take the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.
Trump spoke before the conclusion of talks in Switzerland involving a U.S. team led by Vice President Vance, Iran and mediators Qatar and Pakistan. Vance at the conclusion of those talks reported progress.
International leaders and some of Graham’s colleagues have warned against more fighting and encouraged the Trump administration to undertake diplomatic efforts that lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The critical waterway carries up to a fifth of the world’s oil transports per day under normal conditions but has seen a significant reduction in commercial traffic amid the Iran war.
Officials from the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last week to lift the American naval blockade and end Iran’s closure of the strait amid ongoing ceasefire negotiation to determine a permanent end to the war.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said so far more than 112 ships have passed through the strait and noted oil products “volumes about equal to where we were before the war.”
In order to ensure additional free passage through the strait, officials will need to go through the water channel to demine it.
“There’s three channels through the straits. There’s the middle normal navigational channel that, unfortunately, the Iranians have mined. So that needs to be de-mined. Then there’s a separate route up north by the Iranian islands that they’ve tried to force ships through. And then there’s a southern route that the United States military has been escorting ships through for several weeks,” Wright said during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
“And I think it’s that returning flows back towards normal without any cooperation at all from Iran, that’s the leverage President Trump used to get the Iranians to come to the table and realize they’re going to lose all the cards in their hand. Maybe they can make a deal that brings some benefit to Iran. Maybe they can’t,” he added.
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