Kharg Island, located roughly 30 kilometers off the Iranian coast near Bushehr, is considered Iran’s economic lifeline, facilitating roughly 90 percent of its crude exports.
Amid these rising tensions, Trump has called on countries that rely on the Strait of Hormuz to deploy warships to help secure the crucial shipping lane.
In a post on Truth Social, he declared, “Countries of the world that get oil through the Strait of Hormuz need to take care of that passage, and we’re going to help — a lot!”
He further noted, “The US will also coordinate with those countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly and well.”
The strait remains a critical bottleneck, with roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquid natural gas typically passing through the narrow channel between Iran and Oman.
In an additional post on Saturday, the president noted: “Many countries, especially those affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Strait of Hormuz, will send warships, in cooperation with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and secure.”
Trump expressed his expectation that nations such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain will contribute naval assets to the region.
The development comes as Western powers continue to strengthen their military presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
