Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene questioned why Americans were paying high gas prices despite President Donald Trump's claims of secretly moving oil out of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced on Truth Social that a secret US military mission conducted last month escorted over 100 million barrels of oil and more than 200 commercial ships through the waterway. He asserted that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's military is defeated, and its economy is lost.

Key Claims and Context

Trump stated the mission was undertaken on his direction to aid the safe passage of ships. The announcement did not include additional operational details. A CNBC report cited JPMorgan analysts estimating over 2 million barrels per day moving on ships with transponders shut off, though military officials cited in the report stated the US was communicating with ships rather than escorting them. Before the Iran war, an estimated 15-20 million barrels of oil moved through the Strait daily, accounting for over a fifth of global crude oil shipments.

Reaction and Gas Prices

Greene responded on X, asking why Americans were paying an average of $4.50 per gallon for gas if Trump's claims were true. American Automobile Association data indicated several states, including California and Illinois, were paying upwards of or close to $4.50 per gallon, while the national average was $4.1510 per gallon. Greene had previously questioned how new Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh lowering interest rates would translate to lower prices for groceries and gas. Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. Jay Robert ‘JB' Pritzker announced the state would freeze an automatic hike in gas tax, delaying the increase to January next year to provide relief.

Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton warned that a potential agreement with Iran could undermine U.S. and allied security interests, saying President Donald Trump is prioritizing a quick political win over strategic policy considerations. Bolton expressed concern that the President's desire to declare victory could lead to a suboptimal agreement for America, Israel, and Gulf Arab states.

Bolton Criticizes Deal Approach

On Wednesday, Bolton posted on X, stating, "I fear a bad deal is coming for America, Israel and Gulf Arab states." He argued that Trump's "zeal for a deal" is driven by a desire to "declare victory and move on from the conflict." Bolton further contended that the push for an agreement is "motivated by domestic political concerns, not by national-security strategic analysis."

Rising Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

The warnings come amid escalating military activity in the region. Iran had threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and target vessels in the key shipping route, while President Trump had warned of possible U.S. military action if no nuclear agreement was reached. Although Iran's military declared the Strait closed to commercial and oil traffic, U.S. Central Command stated the waterway remained open and reports of attacks were false. Despite the friction, Trump previously indicated negotiators were close to a "very, very good deal" on Iran's nuclear program.

Military Strikes and Incident Response

On Tuesday, President Trump ordered military strikes against Iran after a U.S. Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz. The helicopter crashed during a patrol near Oman's coast, though both pilots survived and were rescued. Trump blamed Iran for the incident, calling for a "very strong" response, while later downplaying the event because the pilots were safe. U.S. Central Command reported that American forces carried out "proportional" precision strikes on Iranian air-defense and radar systems near the Strait in response to attacks on U.S. forces and shipping in the region.