In view of the deteriorating security situation in West Asia and the Gulf, US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Washington along with other countries will send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and secure”.
Trump also called on other countries, including China, France and Japan, to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz and said the US would bomb the coastline and continuously fire on Iranian boats and ships.
He made these comments in a post on Truth Social. Trump said that many countries will join with the United States to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
He wrote, “Many countries, especially those affected by Iran’s attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz, will join with the United States in sending warships to keep the Strait open and secure. We have destroyed 100 percent of Iran’s military capability, but no matter how badly they are defeated, it is easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or fire a close-range missile anywhere in this waterway.”
He added, “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and other countries who are affected by this artificial embargo will send ships to the region so that the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be a threat to a nation that has been completely wiped out. Meanwhile, the United States will bombard the coastline and continue to destroy Iranian boats and ships. One way or another, we will soon have the Strait of Hormuz open, safe, and free!”
The United States has long called the strait “the world’s most important oil choke point” because of the enormous volume of global energy supplies. This barrier passes through a narrow passage.
More than 20 million barrels of crude oil is transported daily through the narrow waterway separating Iran and Oman. This volume represents approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption and approximately one-quarter of seaborne oil trade. A significant part of the world’s liquefied natural gas also passes through this waterway.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader’s representative in India Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi on Saturday expressed concern over the ongoing conflict, saying the conflict is not only affecting the people of Iran but has also become a global concern, citing rising energy prices and wider economic implications.
Highlighting the global implications of the conflict, Elahi pointed to the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit route for global energy supplies.
He said disruptions in the region were affecting many countries in the form of shortages of gas, petrol and oil, but he stressed that Iran had no choice but to self-defence.
He said, “In fact, this crisis is not just Iran’s but a global crisis. They have imposed this war on us, and we have to protect ourselves. We are ready to shed our blood for our dignity, our freedom, our country.”
He further said, “We are not happy with the suffering of other people – gas shortage, petrol shortage, oil shortage. But we have to protect ourselves. We have no other option.”
He urged world leaders to put pressure on America to stop the war.
He reiterated that Indian ships will be allowed to pass through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Speaking in an interview with ANI, Elahi replied in the affirmative when asked about Indian ships being allowed to pass through the strait, “Absolutely, absolutely. Yes.”
Asked to elaborate on the matter, Elahi said, “I heard that our embassy had tried to provide an opportunity to some Indian ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz.”
Elahi further said that the special concessions given to India on ship transit reflect the solidarity of the Indian people with the Iranian regime against the “repression” being carried out by the US and its allies.
He said, “I can say that most of the Indian people are with Iran. They have condemned the oppression. They pursue justice. And they do not want war. Even I can say that they are against war.”