Advertisement
US, Israel war on Iran
OpinionWorld Opinion
Winston Mok
Opinion
Winston Mok

Trump has few cards to play against Iran and in China

The impasse over the Strait of Hormuz is a long chess game across multiple arenas, not easily solved by a naval blockade or a mere poker bluff

3-MIN READ3-MIN
3
Listen
People walk past an anti-US billboard, depicting President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran on May 11. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Winston Mok
Winston Mok, a private investor, was previously a private equity investor.

The much-awaited reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains elusive. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump found the Iranian response to the latest US peace proposal to be “unacceptable”, so it is unlikely that a pathway to unblocking the waterway can be established before his Beijing trip. With Hormuz unresolved, the US president will arrive for the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week with a weaker hand. Bluster aside, what is the United States’ true bargaining position on the strait?

Trump and Tehran declared the strait open on April 17, but the reopening lasted only hours before Iran closed the waterway again, as Trump insisted on maintaining a naval blockade of Iran until a deal was reached.

Despite Trump’s repeated declarations that the US has all the cards while Iran has none, the opposite is closer to the truth. The naval blockade is the last move of a player trapped in the wrong game with no easy exit. This is a long chess game across multiple arenas, not one easily solved by a mere poker bluff.

After Trump’s threat to wipe out the Iranian “civilisation” – or civilian infrastructure – was widely condemned, the naval blockade became the only fallback option. While Iran is in a position to propose a reciprocal reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump is stuck with his only card , ineffectual as a unilateral device even if a useful bargaining chip.
Select Voice
Select Speed
1x
AI-generated voice