Trump urges S. Korea, Japan to send ships to keep Hormuz Strait open
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Washington: Amid mounting worries over interruptions to commerce along the waterway, US President Donald Trump has stated that "hopefully" South Korea and other nations impacted by Iran's attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz will send ships to keep the vital oil transport route "open and safe".
According to Yonhap news agency, Trump made the comments in a social media post as his administration increased pressure on the Islamic Republic to halt the plan to block the strait, which supplies roughly one-fifth of the world's oil.
"Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump claimed that the U.S. military has already destroyed "100 per cent" of Iran's military capability, IANS reported.
"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," Trump said.
He went on to say: "In the meantime, the United States 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!"
In a separate post, Trump said that the U.S. has "beaten and completely decimated Iran both militarily, economically and in every other way, the countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage."
"And we will help -- A LOT! The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well," he said.
This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be -- It will bring the World together toward Harmony, Security, and Everlasting Peace!"
South Korea currently has its Cheonghae naval unit in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations.
In 2020, Seoul decided to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz for independent operations, temporarily expanding the Cheonghae unit's operational area to cover the tense waterway, amid pressure from Washington to contribute to its effort to protect what it sees as the global commons in the Middle East.
Disruptions to shipping through the strait off Iran are a growing concern for South Korea given that the Asian country relies on the Middle East for more than 70 per cent of its oil imports.
Having kicked off Feb. 28, the U.S. military operation has intensified, seeking to destroy Iran's missile capabilities and its navy, weaken Iranian-backed militant groups and end any pathway for the Middle East country to get nuclear bombs.
Despite the formidable campaign of military strikes, Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a defiant message Thursday, vowing to continue using the blockade of the strait as a "lever," and avenge the "blood" of "martyrs" killed in the war with the U.S. and Israel.