Kuala Lampur, April 13 -- Grand strategy, at its most effective, is an exercise in restraint as much as it is in power. It requires calibration, sequencing, and an acute awareness of systemic consequences. 

When these elements are absent, policy risks slipping into overreach - where the pursuit of advantage produces instability far beyond its intended scope. 

The evolving posture of President Donald Trump toward the Strait of Hormuz suggests precisely such a moment of strategic excess.

In March 2026, Trump adopted a position that reflected a degree of pragmatic realism. 

By granting a temporary license for Iran to release approximately 140 million barrels of oil that had been stranded on tankers, the United States impli...