The US president has urged China, Japan and other nations to deploy naval units along the vital route to protect maritime traffic from Iranian attacks.
Countries that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz “be careful” On securing it, US President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post late Saturday that Washington “Helps – a lot!”
The US and Israel launched coordinated attacks on the Islamic Republic in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation attacks across the region. The escalating crisis has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, home to a fifth of the world’s daily oil and gas supplies, after Tehran blocked shipping from countries it considers hostile, sending global crude prices down nearly 50% to around $120 a barrel.
In a post earlier that day, Donald Trump said he hoped so “China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others affected by this artificial embargo send ships to the region.”
“Meanwhile, the United States bombs the hell out of shore and constantly shoots Iranian boats and ships from the water.” He wrote.
Western countries have started increasing their military presence in the region. Defense Secretary John Healy said Britain was considering additional deployments to the Gulf after Iran stepped up attacks on ships, adding that the UK already has autonomous mine-hunting systems in the region.
The French navy is reportedly deploying about a dozen ships, including an aircraft carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and possibly the Strait of Hormuz as part of defensive support for allies threatened by the conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that the strategically important strait was functioning for international shipping, but ships bound for the US and Israel were not permitted to pass through the waterway. He stressed that other nations would be free to navigate the route.
Last week, an oil tanker bound for India under the Liberian flag passed through the Strait of Hormuz and docked in Mumbai.
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