MARCH 13, 2026 — PENTAGON BRIEFING
The Strait of Hormuz Is "Completely Open"
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was asked at a Pentagon briefing when the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway that carries 20% of the world's oil supply — would reopen to safe passage. His answer: the Strait was already "open for transit," the only issue being that Iran was "shooting at shipping." He added: "Don't need to worry about it."
By that reasoning, the Korean DMZ is "open" — except for the landmines and snipers. The East-West German border was "open" — except for the mines and the shoot-to-kill orders. The cartoon does not exaggerate. It illustrates.
What the record shows
At the time of Hegseth's statement: 21+ ships had been attacked in the Strait. Iran was firing on commercial shipping. The International Maritime Organization had convened emergency talks. Seven nations had refused to send warships through. Gas at U.S. pumps had risen from $2.96 to $3.79 in three weeks.