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President Trump Was Right, and the Media Are Doing an About-Face on the Strait of Hormuz
Townhall ^ | 10-2-26 | Amy Curtis

Posted on 10/02/2026 9:46:23 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo

Ever since the start of the Iran war, the Democrats and their media allies have been rooting against America and President Trump. This was particularly true regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a major global economic shipping channel through which much of the world's oil (and other commerce) flows. Late last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio laid out what the Strait, and its control, means for not just the United States, but the world, saying that allowing Iran — especially a nuclear Iran — to control the Strait would allow the Islamic nation to control energy for countless nations.

But because the media can never give President Trump credit for or support on any issue, they've spent months attacking the war. Let's take a look at some of the reporting from earlier this year to see exactly what was being said. On June 28, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed titled "Iran is Winning the Battle of Hormuz"; on June 3, CNN published "'Their new nuclear option': Why Iran's influence over the Strait of Hormuz is here to stay"; on June 30, The Washington Post published "Iran's leverage over Strait of Hormuz snarls Trump's push for a deal"; on May 19 the Associated Press ran a story titled "Trump's tough-talk foreign policy is hitting a wall with Iran as it grips Strait of Hormuz"; on March 18, Bloomberg published "Iran Moves Its Own Oil Through Hormuz as It Chokes Other Traffic"; Reuters published “As Trump claims victory, Iran emerges bruised but powerful with leverage over Hormuz” on April 8; and on April 6, The New York Times published a piece called "The War Is Turning Iran Into a Major World Power."

On September 28, however, it became clear that oil exports from the Persian Gulf had returned to near pre-war levels while Iranian exports have, quite literally, hit zero.

And the U.S. blockade kneecapped any leverage Iran thought it had.

Goldman Sachs Research released a paper on September 29 that reported Persian Gulf exports returned to 2025 levels, and that crude exports accounted for nearly 90 percent of the September recovery.

Meanwhile, Iran's economy — thanks to Operation Economic Outcast — is on the brink of collapse. The same day we learned about the resurgence of oil exports from the Persian Gulf, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran's economy had about two weeks left before it completely imploded.

The news is so devastating for Iran and so good for President Trump and the United States that the media are doing a quiet about-face on the issue, grudgingly admitting that President Trump was right and Iran is losing this war. Bloomberg reported on the surge in oil exports through the Strait, and on September 28, The Wall Street Journal also reported on the rebound in Middle East oil exports and that Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz had broken down. Two weeks ago, an op-ed in The Washington Post admitted Iran's leverage in the Strait of Hormuz was "dwindling." On September 29, The Washington Post admitted that Iran's currency hit a new record low "as war erodes [the] country's economic stability."

Every single outlet mentioned above has since posted stories or op-eds highlighting the surge in exports through the Strait of Hormuz or about Iran's crippled and collapsing economy. On September 30, The Wall Street Journal reported again that crude exports were back at pre-war levels; CNN admitted two days ago in an analysis piece that Iran has "lost considerable leverage in the Strait of Hormuz"; the Associated Press reported on Iran's failed currency and collapsing economic stability on September 29; Bloomberg ran two pieces on oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz — one on September 19 and another on September 24. Reuters also wrote about the 33.7 million barrels exported on September 24; and on August 30, The New York Times admitted the blockade was squeezing Iran's oil supply.

What an incredible, albeit tacit, admission by our media. Headlines in the spring and over the summer told Americans Iran was winning the war and controlled the Strait of Hormuz. Now that we're seeing that President Trump and his administration were right about Iran, the headlines tell a very different story: Oil is flowing, Iran's leverage is shrinking, and its economy is under extraordinary pressure. Yet the media still refuse to give President Trump credit, even if their about-face reporting is doing it for them.


TOPICS: Iran; News/Current Events; War
KEYWORDS: hormuz; iran; media; trump; whoremuz
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1 posted on 10/02/2026 9:46:23 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Mr. Mojo

People wont care until fuel prices come down. Spot oil still above 90, and gas prices have dropped some, but still high. Home heating oil through the roof.


2 posted on 10/02/2026 9:51:24 AM PDT by Fido969
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To: Mr. Mojo

In life, timing is everything

The Trump team may have just hit the mark on Iran

It’s going to be tight, but the price of crude oil is going to tank in the near future and the speculation and price gouging that has driven the run up in the market is going to get punished when prices collapse


3 posted on 10/02/2026 9:53:55 AM PDT by rdcbn1 (..when poets buy guns, tourist season is over................Walter R. Mead)
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To: Mr. Mojo

Cool! Now Chemical, Thermo, Geological, and Mechanical Engineers, and Elon Musk(!!) circle up figure out an efficient way to extract usable oil from Venezuela oil deposits.


4 posted on 10/02/2026 10:02:25 AM PDT by know.your.why
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To: Mr. Mojo

Yes the problem was circumvented as far as the oil supply; however, Iran is still in control of the strait. I thought Rubio said he didn’t want that?


5 posted on 10/02/2026 10:06:40 AM PDT by Sam Gamgee
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To: Mr. Mojo
HOW DARE TRUMP ATTACK IRAN BEFORE THEY - AND/OR THEIR ALLIES LIKE CHINA, USSR, AND A FEW UNKNOWNS - SENT SOME UNFORGETTABLE "GIFTS" TO THE USA??


6 posted on 10/02/2026 10:08:19 AM PDT by Dick Bachert (lolLOLLL)
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To: sauropod

.


7 posted on 10/02/2026 10:12:58 AM PDT by sauropod ("They eventually succomb to the dollar" - President Donald J. Trump Ne supra crepidam)
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To: Mr. Mojo

Gas is still $3.95 all around me. Vultures!


8 posted on 10/02/2026 10:16:32 AM PDT by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: Sam Gamgee

Iran only controls a small part of the strait now. That’s the part where most of the traffic was in the past, close to Iran’s coast. The US Navy has provided a new path close to Oman’s coast where Iran can’t reach. Tankers are able to travel here protected by distance and the US navy.

The US Navy has a blockade of its own which is stopping all Iranian ships.

It doesn’t do Iran any good to claim to have control over part of the strait when they can’t block ships, or get past the US Navy.

Love,
O2


9 posted on 10/02/2026 10:21:39 AM PDT by omegatoo (You know you'll get your money's worth...become a monthly donor!)
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To: Sam Gamgee

Iran has no control of the strait. We have an alternate shipping route set up that bypasses their threats.


10 posted on 10/02/2026 10:21:56 AM PDT by butterdezillion
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To: Mr. Mojo

At some point, the Media may LOSE face with enough of the American public. It will NEVER do an about-face.


11 posted on 10/02/2026 10:27:41 AM PDT by Empire_of_Liberty
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To: Sam Gamgee
Iran is still in control of the strait

Do you still believe that or is it wishful thinking?

12 posted on 10/02/2026 10:49:43 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution.)
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To: Fido969

“Home heating oil through the roof.”
_________________________________________

Who cares about old polluting heating oil anyway? Electricity is the clean efficient future! Do it now, Northeasterners. Only 4.8 years left!


13 posted on 10/02/2026 11:23:12 AM PDT by oldplayer (Anyon)
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To: Jeff Chandler

Crazy isn’t it? That would be like me taking a bass fishing boat out on Lake Superior and saying I control it. It’s clear there is a concerted effort on FR to promote Trump as a failure on everything.


14 posted on 10/02/2026 11:23:53 AM PDT by Codeflier (Don't worry....be happy)
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To: Mr. Mojo
"Wall Street Journal
CNN
Washington Post
Associated Press
Bloomberg published
Reuters
New York Times"

The Trotskyites and Bolsheviks are alive and well...

15 posted on 10/02/2026 11:35:28 AM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is rabble-rising Sam Adams now that we need him? Is his name Trump, now?)
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To: Codeflier

<< there is a concerted effort on FR to promote Trump as a failure on everything. >>

Yep. And crazy as it seems, they’re absolutely rooting for Iran to win the war. Perhaps their irrational hatred of Israel has caused this particular derangement.


16 posted on 10/02/2026 11:38:50 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: oldplayer

Have you ever been to the northeast?

I have lived here my entire life.
EVERY home I have owned has been heated with #2 oil.
That is because NONE of those houses had a gas line out front.
Even the one I built in 1990. So, it was either put in a oil burner furnace or propane. Propane on average is typically more expensive.

All of my houses(I have had three) all had some other heating source. The first two had Jutul wood stoves.
The current house(1972 vintage) I added a Harman Pellet stove insert ten years ago. When Obama was POTUS and oil got to $150/barrel. It was about $7K installed.

Natural gas is only available around here(NH) in the cites and a few big towns. The gas line stops at the high school three miles south of my house. Same with town water. There will never be gas available on my country road.

Electricity has always been expensive up here too.
We used to be one of the highest in the country.
Now, we are probably cheaper than some places.
My electric bill for my 2700 sq ft house is around $250/month.

Pellets are about $7/bag. I will burn a bag a day in the winter. I am cleaning my pellet insert tomorrow. Along with the flue pipe. I pull it out of the fireplace and clean behind it and the flue every October. It heats about half of my house.


17 posted on 10/02/2026 11:57:04 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: Mr. Mojo

Corporate Anti-MAGA Propaganda Media: waves collective hand in a magical fashion like Obi Wan Kenobi and intones: “We’ve ALWAYS proclaimed that President Trump would quickly bring Iran to its knees and prevent a nuclear WWIII by denying Iran the nuclear bomb, and we’ve never published anything to the contrary.”


18 posted on 10/02/2026 12:02:02 PM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
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To: know.your.why

“Cool! Now Chemical, Thermo, Geological, and Mechanical Engineers, and Elon Musk(!!) circle up figure out an efficient way to extract usable oil from Venezuela oil deposits.”

Venezuela and Chevron have already been doing this for decades, and multiple USA refineries are optimized for processing thuis extra goopy type of petroleum ...


19 posted on 10/02/2026 12:04:43 PM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
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To: Sam Gamgee

“however, Iran is still in control of the strait.”

only if “in control” excludes their ability to use it themselves ...


20 posted on 10/02/2026 12:06:12 PM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
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