Alex GriffingMay 14th, 2026, 3:52 pm

Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) joined CNN’s John Berman on Thursday morning to discuss the ongoing economic fallout from the war with Iran and claimed the U.S. has full control of the Strait of Hormuz – drawing stern push back from Berman.

Alford argued that while the economic pain may be high at the moment, the American people need to see the war through in order to solve a larger problem. He compared the war to taking a “full regimen” of medicine to treat an illness.

“How long is that full regimen, though? When you take antibiotics, you get 30, five a day for six days. Is this gonna be five a day for four more months? Because how much longer is it gonna cost you 100 bucks to fill up your Ford Expedition?” Berman pressed.

“I don’t have a crystal ball in this. I do know that we do have control over the Straits of Hormuz right now. Things have improved somewhat. I know Saudi Arabia-” Alford said as Berman jumped in:

I’m sorry, Congressman, if we have control, how come there aren’t vessels going in and out of the Strait of Hormuz right now?

“Because there’s still some safety issues in Saudi Arabia and other countries did not want us to provide those services where we’re escorting tankers through. There is, this has become very complicated because other Middle East countries, Saudi Arabia and others, they want Iran to be dealt with but they also know that this is a delicate situation,” Alford replied, before clarifying that the strait is yet to be fully reopened:

And so I think they are coordinating with the United States of America in this plan to fully open the Straits of Hormuz, to fully get oil flowing through that area so that we can live in peace with Iran and whatever regime ends up happening there.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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