Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to President Barack Obama, has criticized President Donald Trump's negotiation tactics with Iran, particularly concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Emanuel stated that Trump is acting out because he is being "schooled him on the art of the negotiation."
Emanuel's comments focused on ensuring the smooth transit of petroleum through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil flows. He stressed that the strait should not be considered an "Iranian waterway." To address the uncertainty surrounding its immediate future, Emanuel proposed that the United Nations-associated International Maritime Association could charge fees for passage through the strait. These fees, he suggested, would be distributed to all nations affected by regional conflicts, including Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Qatar, for a multi-year period until permanent protocols are established. He explicitly stated that such fees should not be levied by Iran.
In the long term, Emanuel advised that regional countries should develop alternative oil transportation pathways that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. This strategy, he argued, would build resilience and prevent Iran from using the strait's potential closure as leverage in negotiations. He warned that while Iran's actions might be addressed today, they would not be permanently solved without such measures.
These remarks come amid recent military actions. The Pentagon confirmed that some strikes this week were explicitly conducted to impair Iran's ability to "threaten freedom of navigation" in the strait. Additionally, at a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump revived his past threat to take control of Kharg Island, through which approximately 90% of Iran's oil exports pass.