Iran has the Strait of Hormuz choked off
From President Trump’s Point of View — One with a Divine Mission
Briefly, as President Trump claimed Iran has being “totally obliterated” and demands total unconditional surrounder, and that Iran fulfilled three other a highly aggressive, maximalist conditions:
(1) That Iran surrounder it nuclear material; insisting on a commitment to “zero enrichment.” Under this condition, Iran must completely dismantle its uranium enrichment program and allow the US to recover and remove any nuclear material within the country;
(2) That Iran dismantle its ballistic missile infrastructure; these includes the Shahab-3, Ghadr, and Emad series, which have ranges between 1,000 to 2,000 km; and solid-fuel missile production facilities, like the Sajjil or Kheibar Shekan. These must be destroyed because they threaten US bases in the Persian Gulf;
(3) That Iran should stop supporting its allies: Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis; that is, the dismantling of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” as President Trump’s demanded. Degrading Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities would be pointless if Tehran can still use its regional proxy network to project asymmetric power across the Middle East;
(4) The Strait of Hormuz remains under US control, with no tolls imposed by Iran or its IRGC, ensuring that any tanker or carrier can pass safely through the Strait; but President Trump has to itch over the 20% tarrif lost on all goods coming out of the Persian Gulf.
In practice, Iran’s IRGC lets a limited number of tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz if they pay tolls, are Chinese-owned, or if their oil or LPG cargo has been purchased using Yuan.
Paralyzed, President Trump, believing in his divine calling, has already deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George Bush to the Gulf, ready for action. But Trump couldn’t force Tehran to come to the table.
“Getting rid of the nuclear program, stopping the launching of missiles, not sponsoring terrorist groups in the Middle East” says a spokeman on behalf of the White House. “A regime change is the only guarantee these objective can be achieved.”
And with the quagmire sinking deeper and deeper, the US military would have no other choice but be best preparing a ground invasion requiring 200,000 Marines and other foot soldiers, with potential casualties estimated at 20,000.
From Iran’s Point of View — a Shia that thrives on Martyrdom
On February 28, 2026, Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was killed in Tehran during a series of American-Israeli airstrikes targeting top Iranian officials. He became the principle martyr.
Others killed were the 120 students aged 6–13, 26 teachers, and several parents, totaling approximately 156–170 people, by a US Tomahawk missile in Minab, Hormozgan province, during the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury. They are all fellow martyrs.
Briefly, immediately after President Trump claimed Iran has being “totally obliterated” and demands unconditional surrounder, Iran counters with closing the Strait of Hormuz and would only agree to a ceasefire if three major conditions are met:
(1) That Iran takes control of the Strait of Hormuz and demands a toll of about US$2 million for each oil tanker for safe passage through the Strait of Waterloo;
(2) That the United States withdraw all military forces, weapons and personnel from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Syria within 30 days;
(3) That all trade; oil and financial sanctions against Iran must all be lifted since 1979 within 60 days;
(4) That the United States pay $800 billion in reparations for the damage they suffered over the 47 years of sanctions; $500 billion within the next ten years.
From the very beginning, after the tragic killing of children caused by an American Tomahawk strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran, and with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei having offered himself as a martyr on the first day of the Gulf War, such acts of sacrifice and martyrdom were expected to continue.
The six-day funeral and farewell ceremonies stretched across Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad. Around 43 million people joined the processions in Iran and Iraq, marking it as the largest funeral gathering in recorded history.
Shia Islam places strong emphasis on sacrifice for the nation and thrives on martyrdom. Iran 90 percent strong Shias believe Ali ibn Abi Talib, the successor to prophet Muhammad, was the first martyr.
Such martyrdom continued through Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husayn, after which Shia holy sites include the shrine of Ali in Najaf, the shrine of Husayn in Karbala, and other mausoleums of the ahl al-bayt.
Later events, such as Husayn’s martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala, further influenced the development of Shia Islam, contributing to the formation of a distinct religious sect with its own rituals and shared collective memory.
Today, Shia Muslims form a majority of the population in Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan, as well as about half of the citizen population of Bahrain. Islamic apocalyptic traditions describe major conflicts happening before this era, including the Malhama al-Kubra – a great battle sometimes interpreted as a confrontation with Western powers.
And as Iran has stated that US and Israeli forces have bombed nearly 10,000 civilian sites in the country and killed more than 1,300 civilians since the war began on February 28, Shia Islam galvanises strong emphasis on sacrifice and thrives on martyrdom for the nation.
With such deep-rooted beliefs on both sides, it’s clear the conflict will be a long one.
Joel
A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob 