The Trump administration ending its war against Iran now would essentially cede control of the key energy choke point of the Strait of Hormuz to Tehran, President Donald Trump’s former secretary of Defense said Monday.
The assessment from former Gen. Jim Mattis comes as President Donald Trump declared a five-day pause on military strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure after the U.S. and Israeli attack against Iran enters its fourth week. Iran’s retaliation has forced the de facto closure of the narrow passage, where 20 percent of the world’s oil and seaborne gas supplies move from the Middle East to the wider market.
“Iran right now, if we declared victory, they would now say they own the strait,” Mattis said during the CERAweek by S&P Global conference. “You’d see a tax for every ship that goes through.”
“We’re in a tough spot, ladies and gentlemen,” Mattis said. “I can’t identify a lot of options.”
