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US President Donald Trump said Sunday (US local time) that he has demanded about seven countries send warships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open amid the ongoing war with Iran.Trump’s statement came amid reports that he is set to announce a global coalition to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil exports normally pass.However, he did not name the countries but noted they are nations heavily reliant on Middle East oil. “We’re talking to countries about policing the straits, because they are the ones — you know, we don’t get oil, very little, 1%. China, as an example, gets about 90% of its oil from the Hormuz Strait. It’d be nice to have other countries policing with us. And we’ll help, and we’ll work with them,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their own territory,” he added.So far no nation has made firm commitments as global oil prices continue to rise.“I think we’re getting a good response… We’re always there for Nato. We’re helping them with Ukraine… It doesn’t affect us, but we’ve helped them. It’d be interesting to see which country wouldn’t help us with a very small endeavour, which is just keeping the Strait open,” Trump noted.
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He reiterated that the US has defeated Iran but said Tehran can have a “little bit of fight back.”“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve essentially defeated Iran. I guess they can have a little bit of fight back. But not much… We have taken out their air forces, air defence… They have no air defence whatsoever. We have taken out their leadership… Militarily, it’s been amazing. We have attacked Kharg Island… They wanted to negotiate badly… I don’t think they are ready… I think they will be ready in some time. But we do it very well...”He further emphasised the scale of US operations and the effect on Iran’s capabilities. “My comparison is small because Iran has very little firepower left. Their missiles are down to a low number. They’re shooting very few of them… Because we’ve decimated their manufacturing capability. Likewise, the drones are way down. They’re down to about 20% of what they had… as of yesterday, we’re starting to hit the places where they manufacture the drones. We think we know where they are. It’s a very strong military operation, just as it was in Venezuela. We have the strongest military anywhere in the world by far, not even a contest. And I think people understand that, and we will finish the job.”Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi earlier told CBS that Tehran has been approached by a number of countries seeking safe passage for their vessels, and that allowing such passage is a matter for Iran’s military. “A group of vessels from ‘different countries’ had been allowed to pass,” he said, without providing further details.He added that “we don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans” about ending the war, noting that Israel and the US began the fighting with coordinated attacks on Feb. 28 during indirect talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Araghchi also said Tehran had “no plan to recover” the enriched uranium that was destroyed following US and Israeli attacks last year.The Iran-caused disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has put pressure on global oil markets, with prices surpassing $100 per barrel since US operations began two weeks ago. US gas prices have risen by more than 70 cents per gallon. Iran has restricted passage using sea mines and small vessels, while members of the US administration have said the US Navy will support commercial vessels navigating the strait.Republicans in Congress have urged the White House to act quickly to prevent a short-term economic shock at the start of an election year. Despite these pressures, Trump and some party members have resisted calls to end the war quickly, aiming to avoid longer-lasting supply issues.
