00:00What is it about this stretch of waterway that's made it so difficult for the United States to
00:06force its reopening? Well, the United States hasn't really tried to force the reopening.
00:10And Admiral Cooper, when he testified before our Congress here about two weeks ago, was asked
00:16specifically the question, could we force the strait open? And his answer to that was yes.
00:21But if you look at all of these international straits, so the Strait of Gibraltar,
00:25the Baba Amandeb Strait in the Southern Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, the Malaccan Strait,
00:31we don't wake up in the morning and wonder if the Strait of Gibraltar is going to be open,
00:36because we know that Spain and Morocco are not going to do anything to try to close the strait.
00:41They're not going to try to charge at all. What makes the Strait of Hormuz difficult is the Iranian
00:46regime. It's easier to close a very narrow body of water like the Strait of Hormuz if you're
00:54if you own the landmass, the strait is adjoined. It's harder to force it open. The United States
01:02can force it open. Admiral Cooper said the United States can force it open. That's a difficult task.
01:07The Iranians keep it closed with small boats, with mine attacks, the occasional drone,
01:15the occasional anti-ship cruise missile. So not terribly sophisticated, generally asymmetric weapons.
01:21But we can force it open if we have to. And I think what the president has tried to do
01:27is to get the
01:29strait open the way it should be, like all the international straits work in accordance with
01:34international law, without using additional force.
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