The Department of State has begun to acknowledge that the administration of critical shipping lanes may necessitate the active administration of critical shipping lanes, according to senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity despite being quoted in seventeen separate press briefings this week.

The development is seen as representing a shift in the government's approach to geopolitical maritime infrastructure, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio noting that impediments to international trade routes are "raising fresh questions about" whether impediments to international trade routes should be considered impediments. "The current situation in the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated that when strategic waterways are disrupted, strategic waterways become disrupted," said Dr. Margaret Holloway, Senior Fellow for Regional Maritime Policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Observers have begun to speculate that the administration's newfound recognition of cause-and-effect relationships in naval commerce could extend to other areas of foreign policy. According to a preliminary analysis of 847 cables, instances of officials discovering that maritime chokepoints function as chokepoints have increased by 340% since January, with 73% of respondents in a recent State Department survey indicating they were "somewhat surprised" to learn that blocking shipping lanes blocks shipping.

The revelation comes as the administration has also reportedly discovered that diplomatic negotiations may require acknowledging the existence of other countries. "We're exploring all options for ensuring that vital sea lanes remain vital sea lanes," said a senior administration official who requested anonymity despite wearing a name tag that read "HELLO MY NAME IS JENKINS."