Iran Has Lost Control of Hormuz. Here’s What that Means.
Simon Whistler • October 9, 2026
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Note: this transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors or inconsistencies.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a hell of an announcement: the Islamic Republic of Iran had lost complete control of the Strait of Hormuz.
And while the current administration has announced Iran's total defeat multiple times over the last eight months, on this one they might actually have a point: after months of one of the world's most important waterways grind into a standstill, oil exports from the gulf have recovered to pre-war levels that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago
Hence the 300 billion dollar please open hormuz memorandum washington was willing to sign over this summer if there's one thing we know about iran though it's that they're not going to just let hormones drift out of their control already tehran is shifting its strategy to ensure its super weapon remains viable the shift that may yet herald a new phase in
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About this briefing
Gulf oil exports are back to pre-war levels, but Iran is now hitting tankers deep inside the Persian Gulf — a shift that could make Washington's Hormuz victory only the first round of a longer fight.