U.S. President, Donald Trump, has called on countries that rely on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to deploy naval forces to keep the strategic waterway open as tensions escalate between Iran and Western allies.
Trump made the call in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, noting that the United States would coordinate efforts to ensure smooth and safe shipping.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, with roughly one fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through it.
What Trump is saying
Trump said several countries could send naval vessels to support the effort, including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
He said these deployments would work alongside U.S. forces to ensure the waterway remains open and secure amid ongoing attacks linked to the escalating conflict involving Iran.
- “The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!
- “The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Trump also indicated that the U.S. military could intensify operations in the region, including targeting Iranian coastal positions and vessels if threats to shipping persist.
- “In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water,” he wrote.
Get up to speed
Western countries have already begun strengthening their military presence in parts of the eastern Mediterranean as the conflict unfolds.
- Attention has particularly focused on the security situation in Cyprus after an Iranian-made drone reportedly struck a British military base on the island on March 2.
- Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is considering additional deployments to the Gulf region following a series of attacks on vessels linked to the conflict.
According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, the British government is currently consulting with allies and partners on a range of options aimed at protecting commercial shipping routes and maintaining maritime security in the region.
What you should know
Earlier on Saturday, the U.S. Central Command disclosed that it executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran on Friday night but did not hit the oil infrastructure in the region.
- This comes as the US-Israeli war against Iran clocks two weeks and has had a major impact on the global economy, especially crude oil supply.
- The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the U.S. military said.
- Meanwhile, prices of crude oil have continued to go up in the global energy market, crossing $100 again on Friday as the conflict escalates.
In Nigeria, the price volatility has seen prices of petroleum change three times within the past week.
