Bypass the Strait of Hormuz with nuclear explosives? The US studied that in Panama and Colombia in the 1960s

For decades, the US seriously pursued the idea of ‘peaceful nuclear explosions.’

By: Christine Keiner, Rochester Institute of Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 2, 2026

Words: 1,321

Last Updated: 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Body Text Preview

By Christine Keiner, Rochester Institute of Technology

With the world struggling to get oil supplies moving from the Middle East, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich raised eyebrows with a social media post highlighting a radical idea: Use nuclear bombs to cut a new channel along a route that would avoid Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz.

Gingrich’s March 15, 2026, post linked to an article that labeled itself as satire. …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us