By Ian Werther in News — 14 Mar 2026

Trump Approves Potential Strikes on Iran After Briefing on Strait of Hormuz Blockade

The Wall Street Journal reported on the 13th that President Donald Trump approved potential strikes against Iran after being briefed that Tehran could attempt to seal the Strait of Hormuz with mines, drones and other means. The article cites Dan Cane, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as having warned before any conflict that Iran could respond with such a blockade.

According to the report, Trump told his aides that Iran was unlikely to endure such pressure and that, even if it moved to close the strait, the United States could respond. The decision to proceed with military action, the Journal says, rested on a strong belief in U.S. military power and readiness.

The article notes that Trump’s confidence in Cane grew after last year’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and a January operation in Venezuela that targeted President Nicolás Maduro, reinforcing trust within the defense leadership.

Bottom view of the iwan at one of the entrances at Fatima Masumeh Shrine, Qom, Iran. this picture merged from 25 pictures. 5 frames and each frame contain 5 pictures with 5 levels of exposure. HDR + Panorama — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Prior to approving strikes, Trump and his aides also discussed plans for the U.S. Navy to escort oil tankers through the Hormuz Strait, the Journal adds, signaling a broader approach to maintaining maritime flow if tensions escalated.

Defense Department officials have since warned that, with the Strait effectively blocked, tankers could become targets unless Iran’s coastal defenses are neutralized. U.S. officials have also signaled that a war could last for several weeks.

The Journal notes that only a small circle of senior officials reportedly participated in the planning, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth, potentially limiting the information available to Trump.

Iran’s Musa Bay (خور موسی) on the northern end of the Persian Gulf is pictured in this image from the Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite on 13 January 2017.
Near the centre, we can see the port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini, situated at the terminus of the Trans-Iranian Railway – a route that links the Persian Gulf with Iran’s capital, Tehran.
The dark area to the right of the port is Musa Bay, a shallow estuary. The large geometric structures along the top appear to be evaporation ponds for extracting naturally occurring minerals from the ground.
The left side of the image is dominated by the marshes and mudflats of the Shadegan wildlife refuge. It is the largest wetland in Iran, and plays a significant role in the natural ecology of the area.
The area provides a wintering habitat for a wide variety of migratory birds, and is the most important site in the world for a rare species of aquatic bird: the marbled duck. The northern part of the wetland is a vital freshwater habitat for many endangered species.
This area is considered a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty for the sustainable use of wetlands.
World Wetlands Day is observed every year on 2 February.

This image is featured on the Earth from Space video programme. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 igo. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Some Middle East officials and diplomats told the Journal they were unaware of the plan and learned of the moves only after media reports emerged following the strikes.

U.S. officials say that extended fighting would leave unresolved issues such as evacuating Americans and shaping Washington’s postwar relationship with Iran, underscoring ongoing uncertainty beyond initial military steps.

Public sentiment in the United States toward a confrontation with Iran is not broadly favorable, but Trump allies point to polling that they say shows support among conservative voters, according to the Journal. The report raises questions about how information and advice were shared within the administration as any potential conflict unfolded.

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