Trump urges nations to send ships to secure Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump has urged nations affected by Tehran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait to send ships to secure the narrow shipping lane crucial for global oil supplies as the war with Iran entered the third week. In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others to send ships to the Hormuz Strait, asserting that the US will continue to bomb the shoreline and target Iranian ships and boats. Starting February 28, the US and Israel have launched a massive joint attack on Iran and with Iran’s retaliation, it has extended to the entire Gulf region.

Iranian strikes in Hormuz have affected maritime traffic in the strait, which is crucial for global supply chains for crude and oil. Trump claimed that the US has already destroyed 100 per cent of Iran’s military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along, or in, this waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are. Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and Liquefied Natural Gas.
The United Arab Emirates hits back at Iran over accusations that a US strike on Kharg Island — an oil hub handling about 90% of Iran’s exports — originated from the Gulf state, saying Tehran’s policy is confused and lacks wisdom. In a post on X, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, says the country has the right to defend itself but “continues to prioritize reason and logic.”