Trump: US to Escort Oil Tankers Through the Strait of Hormuz If Necessary

New York City (ANTARA) – United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday, 3 March, said that the U.S. Navy would begin escorting tanker ships through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary. ‘If necessary, the U.S. Navy will begin escorting tanker ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,’ Trump wrote in a post on social media. Trump said that he had ordered the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide what is described as insurance and political risk guarantees for maritime trade, particularly energy traded ‘through the Gulf.’ Situated between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz serves as the only sea route from the Persian Gulf to the open sea, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most strategically vital chokepoints. Iranian media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had closed the Strait of Hormuz to traffic, saying the waterway vital for oil and gas is not safe due to attacks by the United States and Israel. On Saturday, 28 February, morning local time, air strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several members of his family, a senior military commander, and civilians. Iran retaliated with a series of waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East.