President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States will begin escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply. The move signals a direct U.S. military role in protecting shipping lanes that have been a source of tension with Iran for decades.

Why the Strait of Hormuz matters

The Strait of Hormuz sits between Iran and Oman and is the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf. Tankers carrying oil from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, and Iran itself must pass through it. Any disruption there ripples immediately into global oil prices and energy supply chains.

Iran has periodically threatened to close or disrupt the strait during periods of high tension with the West. In recent years, Iranian forces have seized or harassed foreign vessels in the waterway, making the passage a flashpoint for confrontation.

Where U.S.-Iran talks stand

Trump offered little optimism that he would accept a recent Iranian proposal to end the ongoing conflict. The announcement of naval escorts therefore comes at a moment when diplomatic options appear to be narrowing rather than opening. Escorting ships is a concrete military commitment that raises the stakes of any incident in the strait — an accidental or deliberate confrontation with Iranian forces would now directly involve U.S. military assets.

For energy markets, the announcement cuts two ways. A visible U.S. naval presence could reassure buyers and help steady freight rates and oil prices by reducing the risk premium that traders attach to Persian Gulf shipments. At the same time, heightened military activity near Iran increases the chance of an incident that could spike prices sharply.

Shipping companies and oil importers — especially in Asia, which buys the bulk of Gulf crude — will be watching how Iran responds. Tehran could accept the U.S. presence quietly, escalate harassment of vessels, or use the announcement as leverage in any future negotiation. The practical details of the escort program, including which flag ships qualify and how the U.S. Navy will coordinate with allied navies already in the region, have not yet been disclosed.

Watch for Iran's official reaction and any movement in crude oil futures in the coming days as the clearest early signals of how much risk the market is pricing into this escalation.