Figaro: Trump wants to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz by allied forces
Donald Trump wants to take control of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz with the help of allied countries, writes Figaro. According to the statements of the American president, all states that depend on Iranian oil supplies should take part in ensuring the safety of navigation in the area, and the United States will help them "very much."
Adrien Jaulmes
The US president called on third countries to do their part to keep the strait open. Meanwhile, the war he started continues, and the Republican's strategy is still not very clear.
The issue of control over the Strait of Hormuz has become a new issue in the US war against Iran. Tehran's attacks on merchant ships that have disrupted maritime traffic in this logistically strategic strait complicate American operations. The rise in oil prices has provoked turmoil in global trade and is increasing nervousness in financial markets, which is already reinforced by the feeling of a certain unpreparedness of the American administration for the current — however, rather predictable — development of events.
The complexity of the task of preserving freedom of navigation in the Strait by military means led to the fact that Donald Trump belatedly began to look for allies. In a post published on Saturday evening, the US president called on countries whose imports depend on the opening of this sea route to take care of its safety. Declaring that "the United States has defeated and completely destroyed Iran, both militarily, economically and in all other respects," Trump added that "the countries of the world to which oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz must ensure its security, and we will help them in this — ON a VERY LARGE SCALE! The United States will also coordinate its efforts with these countries to ensure that the process proceeds quickly, smoothly and in the best possible conditions."
"The United States will relentlessly bomb the coast"
"All of this was originally supposed to be a collective effort, and it will continue to be so — it will unite the world [in the pursuit of] harmony, security and eternal peace," Trump added. Operation Epic Fury was initiated by Washington jointly with Israel without any coordination with other US allies, in particular, in NATO.
In one of his previous statements, Trump announced the international coalition as a fait accompli, but he mentioned its creation for the first time since the beginning of the conflict. "Many countries... In cooperation with the United States, they will send their warships to keep the strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran's military potential, but they can easily send a couple of drones, drop a mine or launch a short-range missile somewhere along or inside this waterway, regardless of the scale of their defeat."
"Let's hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and other countries affected by these artificially created disruptions will send their ships to the region so that the Strait of Hormuz no longer poses a threat due to the efforts of a nation that has been completely decapitated. Meanwhile, the United States will relentlessly bomb the coastline and constantly sink Iranian boats and vessels. One way or another, we will soon make the Strait of Hormuz OPEN, SAFE AND FREE!". On Monday morning, Japan and Australia said they were not considering participating in the operation to secure the strait at this stage.
The destruction of the Iranian arsenal did not lead to the complete disappearance of Tehran's potential for damage. In its efforts to obstruct shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has gained a counterweight to the enormous military superiority of the United States and Israel. Trump has already threatened to use force to reopen the strait. On Friday evening, he announced the bombing of Kharg Island, through which 90% of Iran's oil passes, where the United States "completely destroyed all MILITARY installations in this pearl of the Iranian crown," adding that Washington had spared the oil infrastructure facilities only "for reasons of decency." The destruction of oil storage facilities and loading berths on the island will deprive Tehran of the opportunity to export energy resources and will deal an even greater blow to the Iranian economy. "Maybe we'll look there a couple more times, just for fun," Trump added in an interview with NBC.
The Iranians have announced that any attack on their oil and gas infrastructure facilities will entail retaliatory measures against the Persian Gulf countries. Escalation could trigger an energy war, which in turn would cause even more chaos in global markets.
On Friday, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the dispatch of the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli with a 2,500-man Marine Corps unit to the Persian Gulf as reinforcements. Thus, the Pentagon is adding ground-based forces to the already deployed air force. If the conflict continues, the strategically important small islands in the Strait of Hormuz, Abu Musa, as well as the Lesser and Greater Tunb, which are also claimed by the United Arab Emirates, may become the landing site for the American contingent.
Trump continues to demand unconditional surrender from Iran and claims that he is ready to continue the war. "The war will end when I feel deep down that it's time," he told Fox News Radio on Friday, adding that he did not think it would "take long." The Republican also said that the Iranians were ready to negotiate, but he rejected their offer. "Iran wants to conclude an agreement, but I don't want to do that because the conditions are not good enough yet," the US president explained to NBC. He also expressed doubt that the new supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, really has power. "I don't even know if he's still alive. So far, no one has been able to demonstrate this," Trump said. "I've heard that he's dead, and if he's alive, it would be better for him to do the smart thing for his country, namely, to surrender." On Friday, Pete Hegseth announced that Khamenei had been injured and "disfigured" in the attack.
U.S. losses as of last weekend were 13 military personnel killed along with the crew of the KC-135 tanker aircraft that crashed in Iraq. The administration's nervousness is also reflected in its increased hostility towards the media, which, according to the White House, is biased in its coverage of the conflict. "The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), as well as other newspapers and media outlets, actually want us to lose the war," Trump accused, referring to a report about the damage to 5 American tanker planes resulting from an attack on a US military base in Saudi Arabia. "Their terrible media coverage is the exact opposite of the real facts! These are really sick and crazy people who have no idea what harm they are doing to the United States," Trump added. "Fortunately, as our great and decisive victory in the 2024 elections showed, the people of our country understand what is happening much better than the media that spread false information!"
On Saturday, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, threatened to revoke the licenses of TV channels due to their "incorrect" coverage of the war with Iran. "Those who spread unconfirmed information and distorted information, also known as fakes, still have the opportunity to rectify the situation — so far the issue of renewing their licenses has not appeared on the agenda," Carr warned.
