Trump Wants to See a ‘Joint Effort’ Regarding the Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump is calling on other countries to send warships to join the US in securing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which is under threat from Iran. Meanwhile, attacks on Iran – and Iranian counter-attacks – continue.

‘Hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others affected by this artificial restriction will send ships to the area,’ Trump writes on the Truth Social platform.

Since the outbreak of war two weeks ago, Iran has attacked and threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz – through which around a fifth of the world’s oil production passes.

“In the meantime, the US will bomb the hell out of the coastline and continuously shoot Iranian boats and ships out of the water,” the president continued.

The Truth Social post also contains a contradictory statement claiming that the US has “destroyed 100 per cent of Iran’s military capability”, yet that it is still easy for Iran to strike the vital shipping lane with drones, missiles and mines.

“One way or another”, the strait will soon be open and safe, according to Trump.

Several family members killed

In another post, Trump emphasises that a joint effort to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is essential.

‘This should always have been a joint effort,’ he writes.

The statement comes after Trump previously criticised allied nations. A week ago, for example, he dismissed the UK’s idea of sending aircraft carriers to the Middle East with a “we don’t need them anymore”.

The Israeli military states that the country’s air force has so far carried out 400 waves of attacks against Iran during the war.

In Eyvan, in western Iran, six members of the same family were killed, reports the AP. One of the victims was a six-month-old baby.

Tensions are rising following the US’s overnight attack on military targets on the Iranian island of Kharg, through which around 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports pass.

Sources also told several US media outlets on Friday that the US is sending a naval landing force to the region, consisting of at least one amphibious vessel and up to 2,500 marines.

Oil facility on fire

Iran continued to attack Israel and countries around the Persian Gulf on Saturday.

The US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, has been damaged in an attack, and in Kuwait, drones are reported to have struck both the country’s international airport and an airbase.

The Iranian state-controlled news agency Fars reports that 15 people were killed when a missile struck an industrial area in Isfahan, writes AFP.

An oil facility at the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates is on fire after the wreckage of a downed drone crashed into it.

^{Cover image: Smoke rises from an oil facility at the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Photo: Altaf Qadri /AP/TT}