Iran’s closure of key oil route fuels fresh tensions as Washington and Tehran trade threats over strategic waterway….
United States President Donald Trump says Washington may assume control of the Strait of Hormuz and should be financially compensated for securing the strategic maritime route amid rising tensions with Iran.
Speaking in a phone interview with Fox News’ Fox & Friends on Monday, Trump said the United States would take responsibility for protecting one of the world’s most important oil shipping channels, describing a possible US role as the “guardian” of the strait.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that,” Trump said, according to Reuters.
The US president argued that countries benefiting from the security of the waterway should contribute financially to the cost of protecting it.
“We’re going to guard it. We’re going to get paid for guarding it – a lot of money.
“We’re going to be reimbursed, because the other nations are very wealthy. They’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing,” he said.
Trump’s comments come as the Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Iran announced the closure of the vital waterway on Saturday, following what it described as an unauthorised transit, and said on Sunday that shipping restrictions would remain in place until “stability and calm” return.
Trump accused Iran of violating previous agreements, insisting that Tehran had repeatedly failed to honour commitments.
“We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said normal shipping operations through the strait could only resume if the United States ends its military activities in the waterway.
The group warned that continued tensions could trigger further disruptions to the global oil and gas market.
The latest confrontation follows a series of missile and drone attacks exchanged between US and Iranian forces over the weekend and into Monday.
Tehran said it targeted US military facilities across the Gulf while maintaining restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has contributed to rising global oil prices.
The renewed hostilities have also raised concerns over the future of a temporary US-Iran agreement reached last month aimed at reopening the waterway and halting military action while both sides continued diplomatic negotiations.
