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US President Donald Trump stepped up calls to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, saying warships will \u201chopefully\u201d be sent to the area near Iran\u2019s coast to help commercial vessels sail through safely.<\/p>\n
His comments on Truth Social \u2014 which didn\u2019t provide a timeline \u2014 came hours after he ordered a strike on military sites on Kharg Island, from which Iran exports almost all its oil, upping the ante in a Middle East war that\u2019s raged for more than two weeks and shows little sign of easing.<\/p>\n
The president said military facilities on the Persian Gulf island had been \u201cobliterated,\u201d adding that he chose not to hit oil infrastructure \u201cfor reasons of decency.\u201d He threatened to do just that should Iran \u201cdo anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran\u2019s 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,\u201d he wrote in his latest post. He gave little detail beyond saying he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK would also send warships.<\/p>\n
He stated that even though Iran\u2019s military was \u201calready destroyed 100%,\u201d it was \u201ceasy\u201d for Tehran to continue threatening ships with drones, mines and short-range missiles. The US, he said, \u201cwill be bombing the hell out of\u201d Iran\u2019s shoreline to try to counter that.<\/p>\n
Around the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait \u2014 through which about a fifth of the world\u2019s oil supplies normally flow \u2014 was only shut to ships from \u201cenemies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overnight and on Saturday, Israel and the US continued striking Iran, which in turn carried on attacking Arab Gulf states.<\/p>\n
Roughly 3,750 people have been killed across the region since the war began on Feb. 28 with a US and Israeli bombing of Iran, according to tolls from governments and non-governmental organizations. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said\u00a0more than 3,000 people were killed\u00a0in the last two weeks in Iran. Lebanon\u2019s government says around 700 people have died in Israeli attacks on the country in a\u00a0parallel war\u00a0the Jewish state is waging against Iran-backed Hezbollah. Dozens have died across the Gulf and in Israel, while the US has lost 13 servicemembers.<\/p>\n
Iran, easily outpowered militarily by the US and Israel, is targeting neighboring states, as well as shipping and energy sites, in a bid to cause chaos in the region and oil and gas markets, hoping it puts pressure on Trump to end the fighting. The US leader is facing criticism at home as gasoline pump prices soar and with many political opponents saying he underestimated Iran\u2019s response and resilience.<\/p>\n
Uncertainty over the length of the war is mounting amid Trump\u2019s mixed signals and Iran\u2019s continued defiance. On Friday, the president said the US would continue its campaign for \u201cas long as necessary\u201d and suggested the American navy would soon begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. That was a shift from earlier remarks that US military objectives were \u201cpretty well complete.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Israel\u2019s defense minister, Israel Katz, lauded the attack on Kharg and said the war is entering its \u201cvictory phase.\u201d He also said fighting would last \u201cas long as required.\u201d<\/p>\n
Port Attack<\/p>\n
In the United Arab Emirates, operations at the key oil port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman were\u00a0suspended after a drone attack\u00a0and fire on Saturday morning, people familiar with the matter said.<\/p>\n
Loading of crude and refined products at Fujairah, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, was halted as a precaution while damage is being assessed, according to the people, who asked not to be identified as they\u2019re not authorized to speak to the media. Fujairah is a major export hub for both crude and fuel products, and has taken on increased significance for both the UAE and global markets because it is one of the few export outlets for oil from the Gulf that bypasses Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s Aragchai, speaking on MS NOW, said \u201cit is clear\u201d the missiles that hit Kharg Island overnight came from two locations inside the UAE.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Iran War\u2019s Toxic Pollution Will Spread and Last for Decades<\/p>\n
In Dubai, authorities said debris from an interception hit the facade of a building in a central part of the city. \u201cNo fire occurred and no injuries were reported,\u201d the Dubai Media Office said in a statement on X.<\/p>\n
A building in the Dubai International Financial Centre, which is in central Dubai, had visible damage to its facade on Saturday, although the exact cause wasn\u2019t clear, according to people in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccessibility and business operations continue, with some organizations adopting remote working,\u201d the DMO said in an e-mailed response to questions. \u201cThe financial ecosystem remains resilient, marked by high levels of professional and market activity, and continues to function as an industry hub.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UAE government said the country detected nine missiles and 33 drones being fired at it on Saturday. The figure is broadly in line with the numbers from the previous few days.<\/p>\n
Jordan, Iraq Struck<\/p>\n
Jordan, which also houses US troops and aircraft, said it intercepted 79 ballistic missiles and drones in the past week. Air defenses failed to stop another six projectiles. Nine people were injured in the week, the Jordanian military said.<\/p>\n
Iranian media reported more attacks on Tehran early Saturday, while the Islamic Republic\u2019s military said it again targeted Israel overnight and Gulf bases hosting US troops. The Associated Press, citing Iraqi security officials, reported that a missile hit a helipad within the compound of the US embassy in Baghdad.<\/p>\n
Brent crude closed above $100 a barrel on Friday and is now at its highest level in almost four years. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE and Kuwait have all had to curb crude production because of Hormuz\u2019s de facto closure, while Qatar has halted operations for liquefied natural gas. It\u2019s one of the world\u2019s top three suppliers of the fuel.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Why Kharg Island Attack Raises Stakes for Oil Markets: Explainer<\/p>\n
Two oil tankers were berthed at Kharg Island hours after the US attacked its military installations, according to Tankertrackers.com, a firm that specializes in following ship movements. And Iranian state media said exports were continuing as normal.<\/p>\n
Still, Iran warned it will target American-linked oil and energy facilities in the Middle East if its own petroleum infrastructure is attacked. Iranian media said all oil-industry workers on the island, which sits about 25 kilometers (16 miles) off the mainland, are safe and unharmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll oil, economic, and energy facilities belonging to oil companies in the region that are partly owned by the United States or that cooperate with the United States will be immediately destroyed and reduced to ashes\u201d if Iran\u2019s energy and economic assets are hit, the country\u2019s Fars News Agency reported, citing the central military command.<\/p>\n
The outlet said more than 15 explosions shook Kharg Island, with the targets including air-defense systems, a naval base, an airport control tower and a helicopter hangar. It didn\u2019t specify the scale of the damage.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Israel Says Iran Is Firing Cluster Warheads Aimed at Civilians<\/p>\n
The US military said it destroyed missile and naval-mine storage infrastructure.<\/p>\n
In the days leading up to the US-Israeli attacks, Iran ramped up exports from Kharg to near record levels of over 3 million barrels per day, JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts, including Natasha Kaneva, said in a research note. That was nearly triple the normal rate of shipments.<\/p>\n
A strike on Kharg\u2019s oil sites \u201cwould immediately halt the bulk of Iran\u2019s crude exports, likely triggering severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure,\u201d the JPMorgan analysts said.<\/p>\n
#Trump #calls #countries #send #warships #reopen #Hormuz<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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