Posted on 08/18/2026 6:59:05 AM PDT by LouAvul
A ship was struck by a projectile early Tuesday while sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz, British military officials confirmed. No one has claimed responsibility for the strike.
An Iranian official says the critical waterway will remain closed until the United States meets Iran's conditions.
The attack comes as Iran continues to restrict shipping traffic through one of the world's most important trade routes.
The incident is rattling energy markets. Oil prices are among the highest seen since July, and diesel has soared in every part of the country in the last 24 hours.
The national average for a gallon of gasoline stood at $4.07, according to AAA. Diesel is at $5.46 a gallon — up from $3.69 a year ago.
The sharp increase in diesel prices is not solely tied to the Middle East. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia, including Ukrainian strikes on Russian facilities, is also contributing to volatility in energy markets.
"They want to make a deal, but they're not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary. Look, we're in there for one reason. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control over the Strait," President Donald Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. Navy's blockade is ironclad and that the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz. He floated the idea again Monday in the Oval Office of potentially declaring the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law who has been involved in many high-stakes negotiations on the president's behalf, told Fox News Monday that Iran does not want to make a deal that makes sense for the United States.
As the world considers whether this is the new normal in the Middle East, Iran has declared victory in many cases and declared control over the Strait of Hormuz — a claim Trump flatly rejects.
With U.S. midterm elections approaching and a potential change of power in Congress possible, and with elections in Israel taking place in October, Iran may be trying to run out the clock.
Diesel is a critical fuel for the global economy. Trucks that bring goods to stores are often powered by diesel, and farmers rely heavily on it during the busy summer season. Economists warn that the cost of high energy prices will eventually be passed along to consumers, with food prices a particular concern.
The chain gas station in town is $4.22 a gallon, the privately own station the next town over is $3.89.
every time a ship is struck we need to destroy one power plant or dam.
And this nonsense will stop almost instantly
Yeah, diesel crack is over $100
“Iran closes Strait of Hormuz as diesel prices surge to $5.46 a gallon across the United States”
Now we know why Tulsi (very politely) said “Adios” to Trump.
The Terrorist State of Iran
Gasoline is private property. They sellers can charge whatever they want.
According to https://hormuz.data-tracking.net, 21 ships transited the straight last 24 hours and 35 ships are transiting now.
I guess when Iran says the Hormuz is closed doesn’t by itself make it closed.
When prices start jumping very fast the ones raising the prices should be reported
Sigh... If only that were true.
It won't stop as long as there is an Islamic Iran.
2NEWSOK is a leftist media group in my state of Oklahoma. They push a headline emphasizing National prices when right down the street from me gas is $3.49 (non-ethanol is $3.99 - $4.05).
I don’t care how much it is in California or New Jersey. It’s their own fault.
When is Trump going to realize they won’t quit until they are dead?
see post #7
” Oil prices are among the highest seen since July,” wait “among the highest”? July was 2 weeks ago what a dufus.
Just for context:
“Before the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February 2026, the Strait of Hormuz saw an average of 130 to 140 ships transit daily.”
Per DDG search.
“They want to make a deal...”
**************
No, they are not interested making a deal. I wish he would stop repeating that misleading nonsense. The Iranians have no intention of making or honoring any kind of bilateral deal. They just want to wear down our resolve, hide and protect what’s left of their offensive arsenal, hope for a beneficial political shift in November, and continue to intimidate their neighbors in the region. They are playing the long game.
Disgusting. No reason for $5 diesel with $80 oil.
There is a reason the Constitution requires a formal Declaration of War by Congress and does not give the president power to unilaterally declare war against a foreign power as President Trump has done. The Constitution assigns the role of commander in chief to the president meaning once Congress has declared war, the president, not Congress directs the military forces engaged in battle. The role of commander in chief was never intended by the founders to give the president authority to unilaterally commit the nation to war. The war power was given to the representatives of the people — Congress.
The American people are experiencing the cost of this war they had no voice in. Energy prices have risen significantly and will escalate even more when the strategic petroleum reserve is depleted later this year. Rising energy prices are translating to increases in the cost of other goods and services. The war is being funded with deficit spending which is resulting in inflationary money printing by the Federal Reserve since foreign nations have dramatically reduced their purchases of US debt. Military stockpiles of many critical weapons are at dangerously low levels and will take years to replenish. Billions of dollars of infrastructure throughout the Middle East have been destroyed by Iran, including most US military installations outside of Israel. The President continues to alienate the nation’s allies, with the notable exception of Israel, with behavior and derogatory remarks.
President Trump proclaimed at the outset the war would last days or weeks. Months into the war there is no end in sight and no apparent path to victory. The choices today are abysmal:
1). The Vietnam option - pull the troops out, with or without an agreement Iran will tear up, and go home in defeat
2). Escalate to a ground war which will be extremely unpopular at home and result in the deaths of tens of thousand of military personnel. Again Vietnam repeated.
3). Use nuclear weapons and risk nuclear retaliation on the home front by Iran (if it has secret nuclear weapons) and its allies (Russia, China, Pakistan, North Korea).
4). Stalemate in a proxy war where China, Russia and North Korea support Iran. This is the same situation Russia finds itself in with Ukraine.
Like Lyndon Johnson from 1965-1968 Trump has taken the nation into the quicksand of a foreign war he has no viable strategy for winning. He has relearned the painful lesson our nation should have learned in Vietnam, that aerial bombing alone will not defeat a determined opponent. It is noteworthy the president has not shared with Congress, or the American people, a plan for winning this war now that the bombing campaign has proven ineffective.
The president owes the American people answers. Without a credible go forward plan, the American people will go to the polls in November and deliver a verdict against the Republican Party.
Closing the Strait when thye have no navy and are surrounded by Trump’s Wall of Steel is an interesting move. Let’s see how that works out for them.
We need to poop or get off the pot.
The good Iranian people are probably a majority and they HATE the dirty robed clerics (who killed 50k mostly young protestors just 6 months ago).
We should arm them, then resume blasting their military. Yeah 1000s will die but we can probably get true victory and lasting peace.
Or just leave and let it be as before
Ps
According to Goldie Gamari, we actually sent a huge number of small arms and ammo to the Iranian people but the Marxist like Kurds betrayed us and they kept them.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iwgB0YAqO5k
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