We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created. As a member of Congress, I get to have a lot of really interesting people in the office. Experts on what they're talking about. This is the podcast for insights into the issues. China, bioterrorism, Medicare for all, in-depth discussions. Breaking it down into simple terms. We hold. We hold these truths. We hold these truths.

With Dan Crenshaw.

Welcome back. Sit-Ret 33. Thanks for joining me as we cover the most important stories from this

week and Arm you with the facts. So let's start with an old one, the Straits of Hormuz.

So this is still the world's most dangerous choke point.

Now, the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has held, I mean, more or less, since April 8th. But the straits remain

barely functional. Oil prices are hovering above $113 a barrel, and both sides are accusing the

other of violations. Now, the world's most critical energy corridor is still in limbo.

So let's just do a quick review of the facts.

On February 28th, the U.S. and Israel struck Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure,

along with many other military targets.

Iran responded by declaring the straits closed and attacking ships trying to transit.

Before the conflict, there was about 3,000 vessels that used the strait every month.

Now we're at about 5% of that.

Pakistan brokered a conditional two-week ceasefire on April 8th.

So we paused strikes and Iran lets ships through with armed forces coordinating passage.

The ceasefire has been extended, but let's not kid ourselves. By May 12th, open transits were still back to near zero per day.

Brent crude oil spiked almost 6% in a single session to $114 a barrel.

And Saudi Aramco CEO even said publicly, if the straight stays blocked past mid-June, oil

markets won't normalize until 2027.

So we also impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports that started on April 13th.

So you've got Iran blockading the Gulf, or at least

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