Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the United States could not pressure Iran through the Strait of Hormuz without facing blowback, saying Iran's "hand is already on the lever." In a post on X on September 20, 2026, he shared a meme portraying the global financial and political system as a fragile cabinet, labeling elements including the "global IOU casino," "petrodollar ponzi" and "rentier sheikhdoms." Ghalibaf described the situation as "Schrödinger's Empire" and quoted HFI Research, which cited a JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts' note saying oil prices could not be modeled amid disruptions. The comments came as President Donald Trump was reportedly considering significant action against Tehran and preparing to meet Gulf state leaders to discuss a post-Iran war scenario. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also said it had struck and detained the Togo-flagged tanker Trend in the Strait. Existing prediction-market data put the odds of U.S. Hormuz fees by December 31, 2026, at about 5.8%, while US-Iran Hormuz Agreement odds rose to 6.2%.