Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) on Sunday said he doesn\u2019t think a ground invasion will be needed to open the Strait of Hormuz as the critical choke point has remained closed for more than a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran has planted mines in the waterway and threatened to shoot any \u201cenemy\u201d ships attempting to travel through, effectively halting international oil transports from the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked during an appearance on ABC\u2019s \u201cThis Week\u201d whether troops will be required to reopen the choke point, Turner said, \u201cI don\u2019t believe so. I think that certainly that this is going to be, again, a diminishing regime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision to shut down the strait sent crude oil prices soaring to $112 as of Sunday and struck Asian countries particularly hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sunday, President Trump said Iran has until Tuesday to open the strait to commercial vessels or face the wrath of bombs on energy infrastructure and other sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F\u2014in\u2019 Strait, you crazy bastards, or you\u2019ll be living in Hell \u2013 JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP,\u201d Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president also told The Hill he wouldn\u2019t rule out sending ground troops to the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf they were smart, they would make a deal,\u201d he told The Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turner says he supports striking Iran until the passageway connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean is safely restored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe straits are going to be open. And it\u2019s \u2014 and it certainly is important to occur. But you can\u2019t say, well, as long as the straits are open, we don\u2019t \u2014 we can\u2019t let them continue to be a power that marches toward being a nuclear power that continues to develop missile technology that can threaten the United States and threaten Europe and continue to perfect long-range missile technology,\u201d Turner told ABC\u2019s George Stephanopoulos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to be able to address this, you know, great sponsor of terrorism, this \u2014 the global power ambition that Iran has,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the midst of negotiations, Tehran\u2019s leaders have held firm to their five conditions for ending the war, which include maintaining complete control over the critical choke point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other demands include a payment of war damages and reparations, the ending of the war across all fronts involving all resistance groups and an assurance that U.S. strikes on Iran will not reoccur in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n