The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of global oil flows, has turned into a tense battleground two weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
Tanker attacks have hit at least 16 vessels since 28 February, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations, with no major navy yet escorting shipments. Brent crude prices have jumped 45 per cent past $140 a barrel, fuelling economic jitters worldwide.
U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to rally support, urging the UK, China, France, Japan, South Korea and others to dispatch warships and reopen the vital route. He claimed “100% of Iran’s military capability” lay destroyed, though he cautioned that Tehran could still “send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along, or in, this waterway.”
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated,” Trump wrote.
He pledged fierce U.S. action in the interim. “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. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!” Broadening his pitch, he called on all “Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait” and promised strong American backing.
Iran stands firm on blockading the strait and hitting energy targets in retaliation, warning of strikes on U.S.-linked sites if raids on Kharg Island persist. Trump hailed Friday’s bombings there as “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East.”
The UK Ministry of Defence is exploring “a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region” with partners, as HMS Dragon deploys to Cyprus. Yet Trump lately mocked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as tardy, saying to CBS, “It’s a little bit late to be sending ships, right? A little bit late.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey insisted any move needs parliamentary approval. “Last week, Trump said he didn’t need Britain’s help because he’d already won this war. So we mustn’t let him push the UK around now.”
France eyes post-peak escorts, while key importers like Japan ponder involvement.