The Story Is Trump out on his own over the Hormuz crisis?
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Mar 17, 2026 George Grylls, Washington correspondent for The Times with frontline reporting experience, weighs in on US strategy toward Iran. He unpacks the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz. He explains threats to shipping from drones, missiles and mines. He discusses limits of military escorts, diplomatic alternatives and risks of wider regional escalation.
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Trump's Shifting Timelines Created Strategic Confusion
- Donald Trump repeatedly shifted expected timelines for the Iran campaign, initially saying it would be over in a week and later claiming four to five weeks before extending unpredictably.
- George Grylls describes the shifting objectives and unclear goals, from regime change to severing proxy links, which created confusion in policy and messaging.
Hormuz Bottleneck Has Halted A Fifth Of World Oil
- The Strait of Hormuz is a 21-mile choke point handling about 20% of global oil and gas and saw traffic drop from ~150 ships a day to under 10 amid attacks.
- Grylls explains insurers refuse to cover ships after kamikaze drones and anti-ship missile strikes, effectively halting Persian Gulf exports.
Trump's Call For Escort Fleets Met Wide Reluctance
- Trump appealed to NATO and non-NATO countries, including China, to send warships to escort tankers through Hormuz, proposing convoy-style protection with warships paired to commercial tankers.
- Grylls warns this is extremely costly and many countries have refused, calling it 'your war', leaving the US to shoulder the burden.