Trump Should Accept Iranian Control of Hormuz Strait to Secure Peace Deal
Source: Joseph Addington. "How Trump Should Handle the Hormuz - The American Conservative." April 15, 2026. www.theamericanconservative.com
The Gist
The author argues Trump should let Iran keep control of a key shipping route to end the war. While embarrassing, this compromise would be better than continuing to fight, and Iran would likely keep shipping costs reasonable to maintain the revenue.
Conclusion
The Trump administration should accept Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz as part of a peace settlement, rather than continue the war to force Iran's capitulation
Premises
- The U.S. cannot force Iran to accept all hardline American demands, so meaningful concessions are necessary for peace
- Iran's leadership will not relinquish control of the Hormuz strait and puts strong emphasis on national sovereignty
- Iranian control of Hormuz would not be catastrophic and could even bring stabilizing benefits through monetized safe transit
- A Tehran tollbooth could serve as economic compensation to Iran, helping finesse other diplomatic challenges like sanctions relief
- U.S. military power has already proved insufficient to reopen the strait
- The alternative to compromise is resumption of war, which is worse than accepting Iranian control of Hormuz
Assumptions
- Peace is preferable to continued war
- Iran is a rational actor that will not charge exorbitant fees that would rebuild alternative infrastructure
- The current war was a policy failure that should be ended
- Diplomatic compromise is possible if the U.S. shows genuine flexibility