Hamish de Bretton Gordon

Well, thanks very much for having me, Claire.

You're very welcome.

I mean, a number of things.

I think it's extraordinary to a lot of us military analysts that President Trump is only now just realising what vital ground the Straits of Hormuz is.

And of course, whoever controls them is controlling the whole conflict.

And of course, the price of oil that you've been talking about.

Now, when it comes to military options, this war, well into its second month now, you would have thought if it was possible to open the Straits of Hormuz using military means, it would have been done already.

And I think from a purely tactical perspective on the ground, it's incredibly difficult.

and the mullahs, the regime in Iran, hold all the cards here.

And I suppose the other thing to consider is the regime in Iran don't seem to care much for the suffering of its people, where President Trump and the rest of the world obviously care a great deal for the fact that we're now having to buy oil at $126 a barrel and what that means at our petrol pumps.

So

So hugely challenging.

It's difficult to know militarily what the US could do to open the straits.

No doubt we'll talk about the nuclear issue, which seems to be the thing that's driving Trump at the moment.

But, you know, with my own experience and expertise, and I think other people who have similar experience and expertise would agree, you know, Iran is a very, very long way in years to be able to produce a nuclear weapon.

So

it seems focusing on that at the cost of $120 a barrel of oil seems to be a strange position to take.

Yeah, and that seems to be why we are likely to see this progress without any resolution until perhaps his position changes.

Because, you know, to not restate what I've said...

the Iranian regime have the Straits of Hormuz.