Damage
4/19/202611 min
April 18, 2026
The opening of the Strait of Hormuz is short lived, The fragile temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is cracking, Iran has not agreed to further talks with the US, Damage from Trump’s attack on Iran means that high oil prices will persist for weeks, US plans to seize commercial ships in international waters, Trump’s erratic behavior is causing wide concern even with former allies on the right, Supporting Trump appears to be a losing proposition in Europe.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHeather Cox Richardson· Host0:00
[on-hold music] April 18th, twenty twenty-six. And just like that, President Donald J. Trump's triumphant boasting that the Strait of Hormuz had been permanently reopened has unraveled in less than twenty-four hours. Citing the continuing US blockade, Iranian officials announced they were closing the strait again. Reports say Iranian forces fired on two ships trying to cross the strait. Iranian media said, "Until the United States ends its interference with the full freedom of movement for vessels traveling to and from Iran, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain under intense control and in its previous state." Susannah George of The Washington Post noted that the fragile temporary ceasefire between Israel and the government of Lebanon also appears to be cracking. Israel has been bombing southern Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah militants operate, and Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that it believed Hezbollah had violated that ceasefire. It said, "IDF is authorized to take the necessary measures in self-defense against threats while ensuring the security of Israeli civilians and the soldiers deployed in the area." This morning, Trump said Iran wanted