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House Democrat: Iran’s control of Strait of Hormuz ‘more strategically vital’ than nuclear weapon

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by Ashleigh Fields - 04/05/26 11:08 AM ET

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by Ashleigh Fields - 04/05/26 11:08 AM ET

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Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss (Mass.) on Sunday railed against President Trump’s actions in Iran and argued that Tehran understands that its control over the Strait of Hormuz is “more strategically vital” than any plans to develop a nuclear weapon.

“The failure of the president’s war thus far is that he has given the new Ayatollah, who is even more hard line than his father was … a new strategic deterrent,” Auchincloss said during an appearance on Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday.” “And that new strategic deterrent is control over the Strait of Hormuz.”

“Now Iran recognizes that, in fact, their control over the Strait is even more strategically vital to them than the development of a nuclear weapon,” he added.

President Trump has repeatedly urged Tehran to reopen the critical shipping corridor, where up to a fifth of the world’s oil travels daily. However, Iranian leaders have refused to allow “enemy” ships through the waterway stretching from the Gulf to the Indian Ocean.

The Strait’s closure, however, has sparked a global energy crisis, hitting Asian countries that rely on oil from the region particularly hard. Auchincloss, who sits on the House Energy Committee, said Iran’s decision to keep the choke point closed has given it the “upper hand” in negotiations.

Trump earlier Sunday vowed to carry out heavy strikes on Iran Tuesday if the country refuses to open up the passage way by the president’s self-imposed Monday deadline.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote in a Sunday Truth Social post.

However, Auchincloss said the president is “blustering” with these recent threats, claiming “he always backs down.”

“And the reason is because he misunderstands the nature of grand strategy,” the House Democrat told host Shannon Bream. “The nature of grand strategy is about choke point control. It is not about the raw exercise of power.”

“So last year, this President tried to pick a trade war with China, Auchincloss added, noting citing Trump’s initial tariffs on Beijing. “He lost it, and he lost it because China choked off critical minerals. This year, he’s picking a war, a kinetic war, with Iran.”

The House Democrat continued, adding that Trump “has blown a bunch off stuff up” while yielding control of the critical passageway to Iran.

Trump has said that strikes in Iran have made it impossible for the country to develop a nuclear weapon, a key objective of Operation Epic Fury.

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