Trump orders US Navy to escort commercial tankers through Strait of Hormuz — direct challenge to IRGC closure

President Trump announced that the US Navy would escort commercial tankers seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz, directly challenging the IRGC's declaration that the critical waterway is closed to shipping. The IRGC had announced on Monday that the strait is closed and that any vessel attempting to pass will be 'set ablaze,' with senior official Ebrahim Jabbari broadcasting directly to ships on VHF Channel 16 that no passage would be permitted. Trump's order puts the US Navy in direct proximity to IRGC naval forces that have declared their intent to fire on transiting vessels. The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20% of global oil supply — roughly 18-21 million barrels per day — making its closure a potential trigger for a global energy crisis. Oil supertanker rates have already reached all-time highs. IRGC fast-attack boats and coastal defense missiles ring the Iranian shore along the strait's northern side. A confrontation between US Navy warships escorting tankers and IRGC forces enforcing the closure could rapidly escalate into direct naval combat. The announcement represents one of the most consequential US military postures of the conflict, with direct implications for global oil supply and risk of wider naval warfare.