The weightiest development of the Iran war could well be Iran having proven itself the master of the world’s most important energy choke point, the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s position along the strait gives it unlimited opportunity to attack vessels. During the war, Iran brought shipping in the strait to a halt, seriously disrupting the global economy.

When President Donald Trump signed the memorandum of understanding, he admitted, “I wanted to prevent an economic catastrophe.” In other words, he now recognizes Iran’s ability to hold the world hostage by controlling the Strait of Hormuz—and America’s powerlessness to stop it.

If Trump is aware of this reality, Iran is doubly so. The mullahs know they have the upper hand as talks continue. And regardless of the final deal, their ability to close Hormuz, and to shake the global economy at will, remains.

Iran has signaled its intention to use the enormous leverage its mastery of the strait provides. Even after the memorandum was signed, Iran continued to strike at merchant shipping around the strait, prompting United States retaliations and jeopardizing a peace deal.

Iran intends to establish a toll system for ships that transit the Strait of Hormuz. In the memorandum of understanding, it agreed to open the strait toll free for 60 days, but this is a temporary concession. To prepare for charging tolls indefinitely, Iran has reportedly charged some ships already and instructed all of them to use a certain maritime route—and has struck ships that strayed outside of it.

Based on prophecies like Daniel 11:40-43, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has identified Iran as the leader of an end-time bloc called the king of the south that will provoke world war in part because of its control of maritime choke points. He summarizes Iran’s strategy in his booklet The King of the South: “Radical Islam could stop the flow of essential oil to the U.S. and Europe!” Iran is learning the power of this weapon right now. America isn’t the country fixing the problem now. As The King of the South elaborates, America never will—Europe will step in