The United States is actively filling its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to capacity, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s renewed pledge to maintain direct control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The dual move signals a hardening of US policy toward the critical shipping corridor, blending supply-side security with assertive geopolitical positioning.
MarketWatch reports that the administration is treating the reserve as a strategic buffer against potential disruptions in the Gulf.
This comes as Trump has declared that the US should be reimbursed for securing the waterway, framing the military and logistical presence as a service to global energy flows that warrants compensation.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, with roughly a fifth of global oil consumption passing through it daily.
Any threat to its free flow immediately triggers repricing in energy markets and freight rates.