Iran's latest demands for opening the Strait of Hormuz show country's rulers feel emboldened by their position in the continuing war with the US, a former US defence secretary said.
Mark Esper, who served as defence secretary from 2019 to 2020 during US President Donald Trump's first term, made the comments about Iran's confidence level during a Sunday appearance on ABC's This Week.
“Clearly the Iranians have figured this out,” he said, referring to Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, which has been heavily disrupted as a vital shipping lane since shortly after US and Israeli strikes began against Iran at the end of February.
“They are not reacting to these threats and they are taking very strategic positions with regard to this and you saw them over the last week put forward this Omani plan they're going to unveil at some point, but these demands raised last night show they're emboldened and they feel confident about their position in the world,” Mr Esper continued. He added that recent incidents show Iran's rulers are flexing their muscles by using Houthi proxies.
“Just this morning, they attacked a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea, and yesterday Iran attacked a UAE ship,” he added.
Mr Esper also pointed out that Iran recently took a “long shot” at an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean Sea to show the range of the country's weapons, and even made a threat against Bulgaria about supporting US operations from its territory.
“They're expanding the conflict in many ways,” he told ABC. He suggested that the US should start to put more emphasis on a stronger economic boycott of Iran.
Mr Esper was sacked by Mr Trump shortly after Joe Biden defeated him in the 2020 election. Reports at the time indicated that Mr Esper openly disagreed with President Trump's decision to use active-duty US troops to quell domestic protests.
Fast forward to 2026 and Mr Trump seems to be stuck in endless negotiations with Iran following attacks on the country that resulted in Iran taking control of the Strait of Hormuz. Reports of a new understanding to allow safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz have increased over the last few days, as Iran seeks to exert control and leverage amid peace talks with the US.
Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said a general framework had been agreed with Oman, although Oman hasn't commented. The final text and details still needed approval at higher levels, Mr Ghashghavi added – further evidence of Iran's attempt to project an image of authority over the waterway.
The proposed system would split traffic management, with Iran co-ordinating vessels entering the Arabian Gulf and Oman overseeing those exiting. A major unresolved issue is fees, with Iran reportedly seeking charges equivalent to roughly 5 per cent of cargo value, which the US has rejected.
Meanwhile, maritime experts have warned that any agreement that allows Iran to impose tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would “totally shatter” the principle of freedom of navigation that has underpinned global trade for decades.
US President Donald Trump's decision to attack Iran several months ago has continued to lose support among most registered US voters. A CNN survey taken just last month showed that only 28 per cent of voters approve of Mr Trump's handling of the conflict, while about 74 per cent think his actions have hurt the US.
