Washington: Amid rising tensions with Iran and fears over the safety of maritime traffic, US President Donald Trump Saturday said that multiple countries could join the United States in deploying warships to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
In a statement posted on social media, Trump said nations affected by potential disruptions in the waterway should help secure it alongside US forces.
“Many countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending war ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” he wrote.
The President also claimed that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely degraded by US actions.
“We have 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,” Trump said.
He urged major economies and US allies that rely on the strait for energy shipments to participate in securing it.
“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 said.
Trump also warned that the United States would continue military operations aimed at preventing Iran from threatening shipping in the region.
“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.
“One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!”
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints. A significant share of global oil and gas shipments passes through the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to international waters. Any disruption there can quickly send energy prices higher and rattle global markets.
The route is especially critical for Asian economies, including India, Japan, South Korea, and China, which depend heavily on energy supplies shipped from Gulf producers through the strait.
The global oil supply has been impacted due to Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz in the aftermath of the US attack on Iran.
(IANS)
