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Secretary of State Marco Rubio made plain this week that America will not be the provocateur in the Gulf — our forces will defend free passage, not start a war. Rubio was blunt with reporters that U.S. forces have orders to fire only if fired upon, a posture of disciplined strength that reassures allies and keeps the moral high ground.
Washington has moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz because global commerce cannot be held hostage to rogue Tehran behavior, and the Pentagon has already guided the first two American-flagged merchant ships through a newly established safety corridor. The operation is no paper tiger: it involves guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and roughly 15,000 service members standing ready to protect innocent mariners.
Let there be no mistaking the stakes — Iran has tried to choke this vital chokepoint and there have been reports of drone and missile strikes and explosions aboard merchant vessels as Tehran sought to intimidate the world. Our commanders have had to take direct action against hostile small craft and shadow fleets, and those attacks only underline why we must assert freedom of navigation now.
Patriots should applaud Rubio’s clarity when he reiterated that America is returning fire only if attacked, not looking for an excuse to escalate; that restraint is strength, not weakness. The elites who cheer for appeasement and endless debate while sailors are left stranded are the real problem — they would rather posture than protect, and Americans see through it.
This is a moment for American resolve, not hand-wringing. Support our sailors, back our commanders, and demand that Washington keep pressure on Iran until the Strait is safe for every flag and every family that depends on the global economy.
Hardworking Americans understand the difference between bravado and measured force: we want peace, but we will not bow to thugs who threaten our commerce or our people. Rubio’s message — defend first, respond only when attacked — is the steady hand this crisis needs, and the country should stand united behind it.
