E-Paper
Expert flags Trump's Strait of Hormuz ‘blunder’ as Iran says ‘ready for long war’
Amid Iran tensions, Strait of Hormuz disruptions threaten global oil trade. As Donald Trump weighs a naval coalition, experts are warning against it.
Amid the continued conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz remains a crucial point of contention. Iran's restrictions on "enemy" vessels passing through the strait, which accounts for nearly 20% of global oil traffic out of the Gulf, have caused significant disruption to global oil trade.
It has prompted Trump to plan for a possible takeover of the Strait of Hormuz. But, so far, the risks for ships passing through the strait remain. The impact of the disruption in the global oil trade is being readily felt with rising fuel costs in most countries.
So much so that Trump discussed a coalition of ships to take control of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the plan could be announced by this week.
Among the leaders Trump called was the UK's Keir Starmer. The Guardian confirmed that following talks with Trump, Prime Minister Starmer agreed to deploy minesweeping drones to the Strait of Hormuz. The report noted concern in the UK that sending warships would further escalate the conflict.
In fact, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Sunday that Iran never sought a ceasefire and is ready for a "long war," Trump's plan of sending a coalition of ships to the strait is being flagged as potentially suicidal by many experts.
Expert Warns Against Trump's Strait Of Hormuz Plan
Recently, appearing on a CNN panel, Rosemary Kelanic, Director of the Middle East Program at Defence Priorities, a Washington DC-based foreign policy think tank, raised similar concerns.
Kelanic said that given how narrow the Strait of Hormuz is and how close it lies to Iranian territory, sending a coalition of ships to defend it could be a "dangerous mistake."
“Iran occupies the higher ground across the northern side of the strait, allowing it to launch drones, missiles, or small-boat attacks," Kelanic said. "Because they can strike from the shore, there’s just not enough reaction time to prevent ships from being hit.”
Also read: How Yair Netanyahu’s Twitter activity sparked viral rumors about father Benjamin Netanyahu
Trump Planning To Send Coalition Of Ships
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that the Donald Trump administration is planning to announce a coalition of defense ships to escort oil ships through the Strait of Hormuz this week. The report claimed that multiple countries have agreed to join the coalition, though the details remain unclear.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump had announced his plans in a post on Truth Social: He wrote: "Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's 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."
The POTUS wrote that he was hopeful that "China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK" would join the initiative led by the US and Israel. But, as of now, these countries have not confirmed that they are joining the coalition.
However, earlier, CNN reported, citing Iranian officials, that Tehran is "considering" allowing Chinese ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
