Trump Urges Allies To Deploy Warships To Secure Strait Of Hormuz As Iran Escalates Attacks On Key Energy Routes

U.S. President Donald Trump has urged allied nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iran intensified attacks across the Gulf.

The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments. Any disruption to traffic through the strait can affect energy supplies worldwide and push oil prices higher.

Trump called on several countries to send naval forces to help keep the passage open. He suggested that nations which depend heavily on Gulf oil should help protect the route.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said countries receiving oil through the strait “must take care of that passage,” adding that the United States would help coordinate the effort.

The Trump administration has contacted several governments, including Britain, France, Japan, South Korea and China, asking them to deploy warships to help safeguard shipping moving through the Gulf.

So far, responses from those countries have been cautious. Officials in several capitals have acknowledged the growing risks to maritime trade but have not publicly committed naval forces.

A spokesperson from the British Ministry of Defence said the government was discussing options with allies to ensure shipping security in the region.

French officials have also shown interest in escort missions for commercial ships, but said any decision to deploy naval forces will depend on how the security situation develops.

The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran continues into its third week. Since airstrikes began on February 28, more than 2,000 people have been killed, most of them in Iran, according to government and state media reports.

Iran has rejected calls for a ceasefire and said attacks will continue until U.S. and Israeli airstrikes stop. Iranian forces have continued launching missile and drone strikes across the region.

On Saturday, a drone attack disrupted operations at a major energy hub in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Industry sources said some oil-loading operations were temporarily suspended after debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire.

Fujairah is a major global bunkering hub located outside the Strait of Hormuz. It handles exports of about one million barrels per day of the UAE’s Murban crude oil, equal to roughly one percent of global demand.

Iran has warned that sites linked to the United States in the Gulf could be targeted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said any location connected to the U.S. could be treated as a legitimate target.

Iranian authorities warned civilians in the UAE to stay away from ports and areas linked to American forces. Tehran said it launched nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones toward the UAE.

Officials also warned residents to leave areas near Jebel Ali Port, Khalifa Port and Fujairah Port.

In a separate incident, a missile struck the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad overnight on Friday. After the attack, Washington advised American citizens to leave Iraq.

References: Reuters, FirstPost