Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich sparked controversy after suggesting nuclear detonations could create a new shipping route around the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions with Iran.
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested using nuclear detonations to create a new shipping channel to bypass the blocked Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, which carries a large share of global oil and gas shipments, has faced disruptions following Iranian attacks and sea mines.
Gingrich wrote online, “Instead of fighting over a 21-mile-wide bottleneck forever, we cut a new channel through friendly territory,” adding, “A dozen thermonuclear detonations and you’ve got a waterway wider than the Panama Canal, deeper than the Suez, and safe from Iranian attacks.”
The suggestion surfaced as tensions persist between Iran and the administration of Donald Trump over regional security and nuclear concerns.