Richard Branson: “I tend to agree with those who have described this dreadful conflict as “America’s Suez moment,” comparing the Hormuz crisis to Britain’s failed intervention to retake the Suez Canal from Egyptian control in 1956. The Suez Crisis had many layers, but it was widely seen as symbolic of a fading empire no longer able to secure its interests by the means it was most familiar with. The US is at risk of meeting a similar fate. As Trump and his administration stumble from one poorly planned tactic to the next, it’s perhaps time to refocus on what is really needed – listening to allies and not alienating them, and building relationships based on trust and respect. If not, I’m afraid America will face a long and painful decline, leaving a vacuum others are just too eager to fill.“