Keeping energy and gas prices under control remains the priority. And on this issue, European governments should be decisive in pursuing the common interest. But if Mr. President, just before the truce with Iran expires, could threaten to declare the Strait of Hormuz "US territory" once the enemy is defeated, then perhaps there's reason to be uneasy.

Also because Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded immediately that "the Strait of Hormuz cannot be conquered with a tweet, nor with an aircraft carrier, nor with an order, nor with an election speech," and added that "Iran does not fear threats, nor does it bow to demonstrations of force." In short, a more than direct way of responding that "there's a world of difference between words and deeds."

But it's not Donald Trump's almost childish statement in itself that's causing concern, but rather the underlying implication it reflects, given the immediate response. To be clear, after months of fluctuating and exhausting negotiations with Iran, Donald Trump could find himself, now as then (February 28, 2026), in a perfect dead end. Indeed. Announcing an agreement doesn't take much, but implementing it isn't quite so easy. And meanwhile, as they say, "it's the paycheck," given that the Strait of Hormuz has continued to be a strategic transit point and a key hub for global oil and gas trade (it connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea), the cost of which has skyrocketed, significantly increasing the cost for Italian and European citizens.

The European Union suddenly found itself completely unprepared for the uncertainties of energy security and trade routes, and is still struggling to find a common path. President Emmanuel Macron did not hesitate to define the armed intervention as outside international law from the outset, but the fact remains that Washington and Tehran are undeniably two opposing forces, now in conflict due to a sudden Israeli-American initiative, almost without fully communicating the whys and wherefores, given that the Tycoon has changed his stance "every now" between negotiations, nuclear threat, and regime change.