America’s Interests First: Lessons from the Strait of Hormuz Crisis
I am an independent Democratic candidate for Nevada’s Second Congressional District. As an undergraduate studying international relations, I wrote a 64-page paper on Iran’s foreign policy right after 9/11. Since then, I have closely studied U.S. foreign policy as it relates to Iran.
The closing of the Strait of Hormuz is a problem that many experts saw coming. For years, people have wondered what would happen if Iran blocked this narrow waterway, where about 20% of the world’s oil exports pass through. Before attacking Iran, Donald Trump was warned that the Strait could be put at risk, but he ignored these warnings and thought Iran would give up quickly. Now, after a war that started without clear goals, the main objective is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Ironically, the only reason the Strait is closed is because the US and Israel started the war in the first place. Trump cannot simply declare victory and reopen this important route. This crisis will likely define his presidency and could affect future presidents as well.
The closure of the Strait is causing both immediate and long-term problems. The longer the Strait stays closed, the greater the risk to the global economy. This isn’t just about higher gas prices—about 60% of global commerce also passes through the Suez Canal, and with the Houthis threatening that region, the cost of everything is going up. This has a direct impact on family budgets in Northern Nevada and across America. In the future, Iran knows that controlling the Strait gives it a lot of power over the world’s economy. Even if Iran opens the Strait again, it can always threaten to close it later if it wants to.
Reopening the Strait will be very difficult. Iran doesn’t have to block every ship that tries to pass—just the threat of attacks has already scared off ship owners, crews, and insurance companies. Bombing Iran’s military or even sending US troops to take over Kharg Island (which is important for Iran’s own oil exports) won’t solve the problem. Iran has many ways to threaten ships in the Strait, like using mines, missiles, small boats with explosives, and especially drones. Iran is very skilled at drone warfare; for example, its Shahed drones have played a key role in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Trump is now asking America’s allies to send their navies to help break Iran’s hold on the Strait. He’s even asked China for help. The UK, the European Union, and China want to see the Strait reopened, but they probably won’t risk their own soldiers to fix a problem they didn’t create—especially since the US Navy can’t solve it alone. In addition, Trump’s trade wars and harsh words toward US allies have hurt their trust in America. Any navy sent into the Strait would be at risk from Iranian attacks and might have to stay there for months.
The US might also consider sending soldiers to control the land near the Strait. But putting American troops in Iran would lead to more US casualties and still might not reopen the Strait.
There’s also a long-term problem. By targeting Iran’s leaders and making it clear that regime change is the goal, the US and Israel have changed how Iran thinks. Before this war, Iran didn’t want a major conflict with the US, which would be the result of closing the Strait. But now, as one former British ambassador to Iran said, the Iranian government sees this as a fight for survival, so they’ll use every tool they have—including closing the Strait.
Moderates in Iran who wanted to talk to the West may have lost their influence because the US attacked while negotiations were still underway. Even if Iran does reopen the Strait, it will want to keep the option to close it again as a threat to protect itself. The US and its Gulf allies—who are still being attacked by drones and missiles—face a tough choice: Should they try to make peace with Iran’s current government, hoping it never closes the Strait again? Or should they push even harder to change Iran’s government, even if it means more war and chaos in the region?
Right now, Iran is being hit hard both economically and militarily. But by showing the world that it can actually close the Strait of Hormuz, Iran now has a powerful new way to threaten other countries, separate from its nuclear program. If Iran’s government survives this war, it could emerge even stronger on the world stage.
It is truly ironic—and would be comical if not for the loss of life on all sides—that billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars have been spent and our foreign policy has been hijacked by Israel in search of monsters to destroy that simply don’t exist. The famous quote that comes to mind is: "America... goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy." John Quincy Adams gave this speech at a time when many Americans were eager to support independence movements in Latin America and Greece. While he expressed sympathy for these causes, he believed the United States should remain a "well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all" but the "champion and vindicator only of her own." This philosophy became a cornerstone of what historians call "exemplarism"—the idea that America serves the world best by perfecting democracy at home.
The silver lining is that this crisis finally exposes the Israel lobby’s unwarranted influence and shows the urgent need for international institutions, multilateralism, diplomacy, and a Green Marshall Plan—the global equivalent of a Green New Deal inspired by the original Marshall Plan. A Green Marshall Plan will create millions of jobs both in the United States and around the world, save thousands of dollars for families in Nevada’s Second Congressional District, end our addiction to foreign oil, and help conserve our environment for generations to come. This is what I will work on as your Congressman: to protect the U.S. Constitution and to advance policies that serve America’s interests and values.
