The Middle East is facing another dangerous moment, and the consequences are no longer confined to the region.
From the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb, vital maritime routes are under growing pressure as Iran and its regional partners challenge Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies. New attacks on Saudi targets by Iran-aligned Houthi forces have coincided with continuing disruption around Hormuz, creating a security crisis that could reach far beyond the Middle East.
For President Donald Trump, the situation presents a familiar America First question: How should the United States respond when instability threatens American interests, allies and the global economy?
The answer from Trump’s supporters is straightforward. Deterrence matters.
Hormuz Is Too Important to Ignore
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.
Under normal circumstances, enormous volumes of oil and petroleum products move through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated that about 20 million barrels per day passed through Hormuz in 2024, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption.
But conditions have changed dramatically in 2026.
EIA data show that oil flows through Hormuz fell sharply in the second quarter of 2026, averaging about 4.9 million barrels per day, compared with more than 21 million barrels per day in the final quarter of 2025. LNG flows have also fallen substantially.
That decline demonstrates just how vulnerable the global energy system can become when a major maritime chokepoint is disrupted.
For American consumers, the issue is not some distant map on the other side of the world. Energy disruptions can influence fuel prices, transportation costs and the broader cost of doing business.
The Houthi Threat Adds Another Front
At the same time, Houthi forces in Yemen have expanded their pressure on Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea region.
Reuters reported on September 15 that the Houthis launched a new series of missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets, including a military facility in Khamis Mushait. The attacks came as Houthi forces made gains around Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and seized Perim Island near the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb.
The Bab el-Mandeb is separate from Hormuz, but strategically the two waterways are connected by the global shipping system.
Pressure at both chokepoints creates a much bigger problem.
The Houthis’ growing presence near the Red Sea threatens another major route for international commerce, while the crisis around Hormuz threatens energy shipments from the Persian Gulf.
This is why the latest developments deserve attention in Washington.
Saudi Arabia Is Looking for Support
Saudi Arabia has responded to the Houthi advances with airstrikes and has sought greater cooperation with Washington.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held discussions with the head of U.S. Central Command on September 15 as the regional crisis intensified. Reuters reported that Washington has so far provided intelligence and logistical support while President Trump has communicated with both Saudi and Houthi leaders.
That puts Trump in a difficult position.
The president has campaigned on avoiding unnecessary foreign wars while also promising that America’s enemies and competitors should not mistake restraint for weakness.
That distinction is at the heart of the America First approach.
America First does not necessarily mean America alone. It means American power should serve clearly defined American interests.
Protecting freedom of navigation, supporting key allies and preventing hostile powers from gaining control over critical trade routes are all arguments that fit comfortably within that framework.
Strength Is About Deterrence
Critics of a stronger U.S. posture may argue that military pressure can make an already complicated conflict even more dangerous.
That concern cannot simply be dismissed.
The Middle East has repeatedly demonstrated that military action can produce unintended consequences. The United States therefore has to balance deterrence with diplomacy and avoid entering conflicts without a clear strategic purpose.
But deterrence also has a purpose.
If hostile forces believe they can attack shipping, threaten American partners and disrupt energy markets without facing meaningful consequences, the cost of instability can rise quickly.
The recent attempt by Iranian boats to seize a U.S. Navy unmanned vessel in the Strait of Hormuz—and the U.S. military’s subsequent intervention—illustrates how quickly confrontations can develop around the waterway.
For Trump’s supporters, the lesson is that credible American power remains essential.
The America First Test
The current crisis gives the Trump administration a difficult but important challenge.
Washington does not need to promise an open-ended military commitment to demonstrate strength. It can work with allies, protect commercial navigation, use economic leverage and maintain a clear message that critical international waterways cannot simply become tools of coercion.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, faces its own strategic choices as it attempts to contain the Houthi advance and protect its energy infrastructure.
The bigger concern is global.
If Hormuz remains severely disrupted while the Houthis strengthen their position near Bab el-Mandeb, businesses and consumers around the world could face greater uncertainty.
That is why the debate over American leadership matters.
The United States cannot control every development in the Middle East. Nor should Washington pretend that every regional conflict can be solved by American force.
But under Trump’s America First philosophy, the United States can make its interests clear: protect American security, defend freedom of navigation, support reliable allies and ensure that hostile powers understand the consequences of threatening the global economy.
The Middle East’s chokepoints are becoming a test of that philosophy.
And for Trump, the challenge is not simply whether America will act.
It is whether American strength can restore enough deterrence to keep the world’s most important trade routes from becoming permanent battlegrounds.
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