Gulf Tankers Will Need Protection, Peace Deal or Not

President Donald Trump has halted the US Navy’s nascent effort to guide commercial ships out of the Persian Gulf — pending the Iranians’ response to his latest peace proposal. But don’t let the pause fool you.

Even in the very unlikely event Iran agrees to a compromise, it would be naive to assume Tehran will stick to it. Either way, over the next few months the US will have to undertake significant maritime operations to ensure tankers can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, sweep it for mines, restore navigational coherence and wrest operational control from Iran.