Every patriotic American should welcome clarity when our adversaries test the waters — literally — in the Strait of Hormuz, and President Trump’s steely posture is exactly the medicine this region needs. The U.S. military has sent a powerful carrier group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln and CENTCOM has warned Iran it will not tolerate unsafe or provocative actions near American forces, a clear message that weakness will not be rewarded.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is kicking off live-fire drills in one of the planet’s most critical shipping lanes, a reckless move that threatens global trade and oil markets while giving kleptocratic clerics a chance to posture. CENTCOM rightly reminded the world that roughly 100 merchant vessels transit that narrow strait on any given day, underscoring why America cannot stand down when international commerce and regional stability are on the line.
It should trouble every American that a senior Gulf official reportedly revealed Riyadh will not permit the United States to use Saudi bases or airspace for any strike on Iran, putting transactional oil and regional politicking ahead of backbone. If our supposed partners refuse to let us operate from their territory, Washington must rely on the hard power options we still control — our fleet, our carriers, and our unmatched American warriors — rather than dependent diplomacy that leaves us hamstrung.
That is why it matters that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told the Cabinet the Department of War will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects, a welcome throwback to the era when America backed its words with capability. No one wants war, but true peace comes from overwhelming strength and readiness, not from capitulation or moralizing lecterns.
Watch closely as the predictable chorus on the left and in the legacy media tries to turn prudence into panic and deterrence into brinkmanship; their aim is to neuter American power and cede the field to Tehran’s proxies. The only realistic way to protect American lives, commerce, and our allies is to maintain a posture of clear, credible deterrence that forces adversaries to think twice before testing us.
Hardworking Americans deserve a government that defends them without apology, and right now that means backing a commander-in-chief who is willing to confront threats head-on and the men and women of our armed forces who carry that burden. If our allies won’t step up, the United States must not blink — it must stand ready, strong, and united behind policies that keep America safe and sovereign.
