‘Nothing to be afraid of!’ Donald Trump told ships to ‘show some guts’ in Strait of Hormuz, here’s what happened next

Donald Trump couldn’t have been clearer to any ships thinking of passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Sure, the Strait is now in the middle of a brutal warzone and is arguably Iran’s best leverage against the US and Israel, but don’t worry, Trump has your back!

As Trump said on Fox News:

“These ships should go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some guts. There’s nothing to be afraid of. They have no Navy, we sunk all their ships.”

So, how did that work out for them?

JUST IN – American owned oil tanker struck by explosive drone boats near Iraqi waters, preliminary reports indicate — TankerTrackers pic.twitter.com/Tpu1tXje6u

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 11, 2026

🚀🇮🇷🇺🇸 WATCH: The moment IRAN BLEW UP a U.S. oil tanker in the Persian Gulf after ignoring repeated Iranian warnings pic.twitter.com/2x0Dx1PHgQ

— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) March 12, 2026

JUST IN: 🇮🇷🇹🇭 Iran strikes Thai ship attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/PHW1mmqw6S

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 11, 2026

Now, I’m no maritime expert, but I’m guessing big ships like that shouldn’t be on fire and exploding?

Great work Donald

Needless to say, shipping companies are not happy. Alexander Prokopakis, executive director of the IBIA (International Bunker Industry Association), which represents ship operators, perhaps understated the situation by saying Trump’s gung-ho remarks have left him and his members “concerned”:

“Our members are very concerned, as are we as an association. We don’t need contradictory messages to the industry, because that creates even bigger problems.”

It’s worth underlining that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz isn’t some theoretical threat to your livelihood: it’s actively affecting your life right now. The price of oil has skyrocketed, which will then be passed down to consumers through higher prices across the board.

There are also many other facets, like 30% of the world’s fertilizer coming through the Strait. The current situation has seen American farmers seeing a 77% price rise in just the last 12 days:

Iowa farmer: We've had this huge jump in fertilizer prices because of this conflict. With 30% of fertilizer coming through the Strait or Hormuz, we've only been in conflict for 12 days here, and our fertilizer costs have jumped 77%. pic.twitter.com/wNR8e3Z7Gq

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 11, 2026

It’s now more than clear that Trump has bitten off more than he expected with Iran. He wanted a quick war that’d give him some good publicity. What he’s gotten is a quagmire with no exit ramp, a future in which Iran will be run by an even more extreme regime with a justified grudge against the United States, and an economy in chaos.

Anyway, if Trump is so certain the Strait of Hormuz is safe, he should sail through there himself!