Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (The Jones Act) in effect

Trump Just Unlocked Something Iran Never Expected Him to Use

The Jones Act

As of March 18, 2026, the Trump administration issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act. Obviously he believes the excursion with Iran ill be over by then.

The waiver allows foreign-flagged vessels to transport vital resources—including oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal—between U.S. ports for a two-month period to ease supply chain disruptions.

Operation Epic Fury – the coordinated U.S.-Israel strikes launched February 28 that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – triggered the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to mine the Strait of Hormuz and declare open season on any vessel attempting to pass.

The numbers are staggering. The strait carries roughly 21 million barrels of oil per day – one-fifth of global supply. Since the strikes, tanker traffic dropped from an average of 24 vessels per day to four on the first Sunday of the conflict. Three of those four were Iranian-flagged.

Brent crude has crossed $109 per barrel. Gas prices have surged 74 cents a gallon since the war began – the largest monthly increase since Katrina.

The European nations stonewalling Trump will face a reckoning when this is over.

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