- Trump urged nations to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war
- Trump claimed that Iran’s military is destroyed, but admitted that drones and missiles remain a threat
- Iran, on March 1, announced tha closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments
As the war with Iran entered its 15th day, US President Donald Trump urged other nations to send ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump earlier said that the US Navy will soon start escorting tankers through the strait. Taking to his social media platform, Trump said, "Many countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe."
The US president claimed that Iran's military capability was 100 per cent destroyed, but admitted that it was easy for Tehran "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." Iran War Live Updates
The US president added, "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."
On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that “obliterated” military sites on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal that handles Iran's oil exports. He warned that Iran's oil infrastructure could be next if Tehran continues to interfere with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran reportedly shut down the Strait of Hormuz around March 1. The narrow waterway is one of the world's most important energy routes, typically handling about 20 million barrels of oil shipments each day and roughly 20 per cent of global liquefied natural gas trade.
In his first statement since taking office, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said the strait must remain closed as leverage against the United States and warned that attacks in the region would continue.
His message was read by a news anchor on state television on Thursday, and he did not appear on camera.
He warned that US military bases could face attacks if they remain active in the region.
"I recommend that they close those bases as soon as possible, because they must have realised by now that the claim of establishing security and peace by America was nothing more than a lie," he said.
