US President Donald Trump calls for international naval support to keep the vital oil shipping lane open as conflict with Iran escalates across the Middle East.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has called on nations worldwide to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping lane choked off by the ongoing war with Iran. The conflict showed no signs of abating, with new strikes reported on Saturday targeting the US embassy in Baghdad and a major energy facility in the United Arab Emirates.
Two weeks after the initial US and Israeli attack on Iran, the entire Gulf region remains gripped by a war sending shockwaves through the global economy. The conflict has also spilled into Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have killed hundreds as Israel battles the Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Oil prices have surged 40% as Iran has choked off the Strait of Hormuz and attacked Gulf energy facilities. Clouds of black smoke were seen over Fujairah, home to a major Emirati oil storage and export terminal, shortly after Iran’s military warned UAE civilians to avoid port areas.
Washington’s embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone for the second time during the war, security sources confirmed. The US embassy in Baghdad subsequently urged American citizens to “leave now,” warning them not to approach its compound or the consulate in Erbil “in light of the ongoing risk of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace.”
Trump called for international reinforcements to secure the maritime passage. “Many countries… will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” he posted on social media, naming China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain as hopeful participants.
He later stated that although the United States had “beaten” Iran, countries dependent on the strait for oil “must take care of that passage, and we will help.” This follows his earlier vow that the US Navy would “very soon” begin escorting tankers through the strategic chokepoint.
US forces struck Iran’s key Kharg Island oil export terminal on Friday. Trump claimed they had “obliterated every MILITARY target” while sparing energy facilities. Iran had previously warned that US-linked oil and energy firms would be “turned into a pile of ashes” if struck.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said late Saturday they had launched missiles at US forces stationed at the Al-Kharj base in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has not confirmed the attack but said earlier it intercepted six ballistic missiles headed toward the base.
The war has begun disrupting global sport, with motorsport’s governing body cancelling April’s Formula One races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Iran’s health ministry says more than 1,200 people have been killed by US and Israeli strikes, though AFP could not independently verify the figures.
The Pentagon says more than 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit. A report this week said the first six days alone cost Washington US$11.3 billion, while 13 US military personnel have died.
In Iran, leaders appeared intent on projecting stability despite the killing of supreme leader Ali Khamenei on the war’s opening day. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the new supreme leader but has not appeared in public and is reportedly wounded.
The war has also sparked another devastating round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah said it was engaged in “direct clashes” with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam late on Saturday involving “light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles.”
