From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Audrey Streb

Iran is reportedly weighing blocking a key commercial choke point known as the Strait of Hormuz, a move that could drive up energy costs in the U.S. and across the globe, according to energy sector experts who spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Israel began to bombard Iran to eliminate the Islamic Republic’s ability to build a nuclear weapon on June 13, and the U.S. carried out “Operation Midnight Hammer” on Saturday night, bombing three of Iran’s nuclear facilities. While Iran’s parliament has reportedly voted to close the Strait of Hormuz in a retaliatory move to choke the world’s oil supply in response to the American strikes, the U.S. is well-positioned to combat the inevitable energy cost spike that would follow if Iran succeeds, sector experts told the DCNF.

“The escalating conflict between Iran and Israel is already putting upward pressure on oil and natural gas prices—and that pressure will intensify if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked,” Trisha Curtis, an economist at the American Energy Institute, told the DCNF. “This kind of disruption would send global prices higher and tighten supply chains. Fortunately, the U.S. is well-positioned to respond — our domestic production strength and growing export infrastructure make American oil and natural gas increasingly indispensable to global markets.”

Iran does not have the legal authority to halt traffic through the strait, meaning it would need to usurp control through force or the threat of force, according to legal scholars and multiple reports. The Iranian parliament’s reported move to block the Strait on Sunday awaits final approval by Iran’s Supreme Council, according to Iran’s Press TV.

The Strait is only 35 to 60 miles wide and connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, flowing past Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The thoroughfare is vital for global trade, as tankers carried one fifth of the world’s oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Roughly 20 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz on a daily basis, Curtis noted. Some liquified natural gas (LNG) exports would also be blocked if the Strait of Hormuz were closed, she said.

Iran has reportedly been warning that it could close the strait for weeks, with one Iranian lawmaker and a member of the parliament’s National Security Committee presidium both quoted as saying that Iran could respond to enemy attacks by disturbing the West’s oil supply. Maritime agencies and the U.K. Navy have advised ships to avoid the Strait in recent weeks, given the potential threat.

Other energy experts pointed to how the Russia-Ukraine war led to a worldwide spike in energy costs.

MxM News

Quick Hit:

The State Department over the weekend warned Americans abroad to “exercise increased caution” in the aftermath of U.S. military strikes that destroyed three major Iranian nuclear facilities.

Key Details:

• In a worldwide security alert, the State Department warned U.S. citizens to remain vigilant abroad due to the fallout from the strikes, which targeted Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear facilities.

• “There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad,” the alert stated, noting that the Israel-Iran conflict has already caused airspace closures and travel interruptions across the Middle East.

• Iran’s U.N. Ambassador accused the U.S. of “destroying diplomacy” and warned that Iran’s military would determine a “proportionate response.” President Trump, in turn, vowed that any retaliation from Iran would be met with overwhelming force.

Diving Deeper:

The U.S. State Department issued a global security alert late Saturday, urging Americans overseas to exercise heightened awareness and caution following a major military operation that struck three of Iran’s most critical nuclear enrichment sites. The warning follows a surge in tensions between Iran and Israel, which have increasingly drawn in the United States.

“The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East,” the State Department said. “There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad.”

The warning came just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had launched what he called “massive precision strikes” on the Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites in Iran. “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump declared. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”

The operation marks one of the most significant escalations in U.S.-Iran relations in recent years. Trump had been tight-lipped in the lead-up to the strikes, telling reporters beforehand that “nobody” knew what he planned regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

In response, Tehran condemned the attacks. Speaking before an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani claimed the U.S. had “decided to destroy diplomacy” and warned that a military response was imminent.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly traveled to Moscow on Sunday to meet with Russian officials, a sign that Tehran may be seeking support from its key strategic partner as it formulates its next move.

President Trump made clear on social media that the United States would not tolerate further aggression from Tehran. “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”

With tensions running high and travel in parts of the Middle East already constrained, Americans abroad are being advised to avoid public gatherings, monitor local media, and follow instructions from local U.S. authorities.