Tipsheet

The Trump Administration Just Responded to Iran's Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  July 07, 2026 4:15 PM

The Trump administration has just stripped Iran of its trump card, as the regime continues to test the boundaries of U.S. patience during the ceasefire. 

Following attacks on as many as three commercial vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Treasury revoked the general license that had been a massive gift to Tehran at the outset of the ceasefire, according to U.S. officials speaking to Reuters. One of the most consequential and damaging concessions in the deal, it had allowed Iran to immediately resume selling its oil after the U.S. lifted its blockade and other sanctions targeting its oil trade.

U.S. officials added that Iran's attacks on the commercial vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz through unauthorized routes were "wholly unaccptable," and would be met with severe consequences.

“The Office of Foreign Assets Control is revoking GL X, which authorized the sale of Iranian oil," a U.S. official told Townhall, confirming the Reuters report. "As President Trump and the administration have repeatedly affirmed, the MOU in effect with Iran is entirely performance-based. Iran will only reap benefits if they exhibit good behavior. Iran’s actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences. Our negotiators continue to work in good faith towards a final deal.”

The back-and-forth over control of the Strait has exposed one of the most glaring flaws in the recently signed MOU: Iran still believes its negotiating strength is unencumbered and is attempting to assert control over the critical waterway, despite the Trump administration’s goal of keeping it open and untolled. Within the first week, Iran challenged that understanding by informing ships via radio that they must be authorized to transit the Strait by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warning that anyone attempting to take their own route would be met with military force. Since that warning, each attack has targeted ships attempting to transit on their own route.

As of Monday, two ships had been attacked by missiles fired by the IRGC, resulting in significant damage but no casualties. A third ship was damaged on Tuesday, suffering a drone attack.