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March 13, 2026
Top US commander says Hormuz ‘tactically complex environment’
During Friday’s press briefing with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, top US military officer Dan Caine described the Strait of Hormuz as a “tactically complex environment” when asked about the possibility of the US military escorting ship traffic safely through the narrow waterway.
“It’s a tactically complex environment. Before, I think, we want to take anything through there at scale, we want to make sure that we do the work pursuant to our current military objectives,” Caine said.
By striking vessels passing through the strait, which is only 33 kilometers (22 miles) wide at its narrowest point, Iran has essentially closed off passage for 20% of global crude oil shipments.
On Thursday, a statement attributed to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for closing off the strait as leverage.
When asked if the Trump administration had adequately planned for such a move by Iran, Hegseth said yes, but stood short of giving details.
“We’re actually closing in on, grabbing hold of and controlling what objectives we want to achieve, and how we want to achieve them,” he said.
A day earlier, Energy Secretary Chris Wright had said that the US military was “not ready” to escort tankers, with all military assets focused on degrading Iran’s military capability.
Asked about the possibility of mines in the strait, Hegseth said: “We’ve heard them talk about it just like you’ve reported recklessly and wildly about it. But … we have no clear evidence of that.”