Thousands of civilian sailors have been stranded for more than a month in waters surrounded by a conflict zone because of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Almost 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Persian Gulf, according to the International Maritime Organization, as Iran has effectively blocked the exit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Presidents since at least the Carter administration have seen their approval ratings tied to gas prices. But there are signs the correlation may be weakening.
The president, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, cast the permission as a “sign of respect.” He also asserted that the United States had already achieved “regime change” in Iran.
Two ships turned back after being warned not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Iran said strikes in the country had hit a uranium processing plant and industrial sites.
With the Xi-Trump summit almost certainly delayed, and tensions rising over the war in Iran, vital issues for both the U.S. and China are also being cast into uncertainty.
As the conflict with Iran expands and intensifies, President Trump’s options — to fight on, or to move toward declaring victory and pulling back — both carry deeply problematic consequences.
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