Donald Trump has called on the United Kingdom, along with other countries, to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz.
Writing on Truth Social, President Trump said the US will be sending warships “to keep the Strait open and safe”.
He said: “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe.
“We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are.”
President Trump called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others “that are affected by this artificial constraint” to send ships to the area.
He added that in the meantime, the US will be “bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water”.
“One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told Sky News: “As we’ve said previously, we are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region.”
The Joint Maritime Information Centre said there had been at least 20 incidents involving shipping and offshore infrastructure in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman since March 1.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for oil and gas tankers, usually sees 138 ships a day pass through, but that has declined to about five due to the threat of attack.
President Trump has threatened to “wipe out” the oil infrastructure on Kharg Island should Tehran prevent the passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The island is around 16 miles off the mainland in the northern Persian Gulf and handles 90 per cent of the Islamic regime’s fuel exports.
In response, Iran said any attack on its energy infrastructure will result in retaliatory strikes on regional facilities owned by oil companies with US shares or that cooperate with America, according to Iranian state media.
Manouchehr Mottaki, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, has also threatened US troops with capture if they attempt to seize the crucial oil hub.
“If they dare to commit such an act and sit on a part of our soil, why shouldn’t we go to a part of their soil – which now exists in the form of their regional bases – carry out a helicopter landing there, and capture their forces?” he was quoted by Iran International as saying.
The threat to global supplies has led to volatility in oil and gas prices, feeding through to the higher fuel bills and the risk of increased household energy costs.
A Government spokesman said: “We know that people are concerned about the potential impact of global conflicts on the cost of living.
“While it is too soon to know the full impact of this crisis, as the Chancellor said, she will take the necessary decisions to help families with the cost of living and protect the public finances.
“We have extended the 5p fuel duty cut, expanded the Warm Homes Discount to take £150 a year off of energy bills for six million households and the energy price cap will protect households for the next three months as bills will fall by £117.”
By Ella Bennett
