President Donald Trump on Saturday called for international assistance in securing the Strait of Hormuz after a surge in attacks on tankers and escalating tensions with Iran, which has effectively blocked the vital shipping lane. The call came as global oil prices climbed above $110 a barrel, according to reports, and following a statement from Iran vowing to step up retaliation.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, and others will help secure the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. The president’s appeal follows a week of heightened disruption in the region, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) declaring the conflict the largest disruption in the history of the global oil market. The IEA announced Thursday that member countries would release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, a joint effort not seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The crisis deepened this week with attacks on shipping vessels in the Persian Gulf. Trump, however, downplayed the severity of the situation on Wednesday, stating the Strait of Hormuz was in “great shape.” This assessment contrasts with reports from the IEA and warnings from Iran’s latest supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who vowed to continue blocking the strait as leverage.
The Trump administration is also taking domestic action, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright announcing the release of 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve starting next week. This move aims to mitigate the economic fallout at home, where gas prices have risen to a national average of $3.59 a gallon, according to AAA data.
Further escalating the situation, Trump threatened further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, according to a statement released Saturday. This follows an earlier threat, reported on Monday, that the U.S. Would hit Iran “twenty times harder” if it attempted to block oil flow through the strait. Trump also warned that any vessels attempting to lay mines in the strait would be “dealt with quickly and violently,” and claimed his administration had “completely destroyed” ten inactive mine-laying boats.
The situation is complicated by ongoing conflict in the region. The head of the United Nations has called for an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah as Israeli strikes continue in the Lebanese capital. Meanwhile, in Cuba, anti-government protests turned violent with an attack on a Communist Party office.
Trump indicated that Tehran appeared ready to negotiate an end to the conflict, but stated that their “terms aren’t good enough yet.” No further details regarding the proposed terms were provided. As of Saturday evening, Iran had not publicly responded to Trump’s call for international assistance or his threats of further military action.
