President Eisenhower made private assurances to Israel in 1957 that, if Egyptian President Nasser were to close the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, the U.S. would use force to open them.
The president justified the uncompromising demand by promising Israel that if the Egyptians were again to close the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, the US would send its navy to reopen the waterway by force.