by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/TEHRAN (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump says the United States and allied nations should send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz near Iran, a strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
The call came as tensions intensified in a widening Middle East war that has raged for more than two weeks and shows little sign of easing. “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.
His comments on his Truth Social platform — which did not provide a timeline — came hours after he ordered strikes on military sites on Kharg Island, from which Iran exports most of its oil.
Overnight and on Saturday, Israel and the United States continued striking Iran, which in turn carried on attacks against Arab Gulf states.
“It felt like an earthquake. My door was shaking. I was very close to an explosion,” said Maretis, a Filipino Christian worker in Bahrain, in a message to Worthy News. Maretis, a domestic worker supporting her family in the Philippines, said she has been praying frequently amid the ongoing attacks.
FOREIGN WORKERS CAUGHT IN CONFLICT
She is among Bahrain’s large expatriate workforce. Of the kingdom’s roughly 1.6 million residents, more than half are foreign nationals, many from South and Southeast Asia working in domestic service, construction, and other sectors.
At least two people have been killed and more than 50 injured in Iranian drone and missile strikes in Bahrain since the start of the war, officials say. Several buildings were hit in the capital Manama, including in the Juffair district, where the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
The United States on Saturday told Americans to leave Iraq immediately, citing the “significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups,” a day after a missile reportedly hit a helipad within the compound of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the capital.
Trump indicated that the United States would not be intimidated by Iran’s actions and that a key priority will be ensuring uninterrupted oil supplies amid rising prices and uncertainty in global financial markets.
“Many countries, especially those affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” he wrote.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ A GLOBAL OIL CHOKEPOINT
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, and there have been reports suggesting Tehran may have prepared to deploy naval mines in the waterway.
Trump claimed that the United States and Israel had already destroyed “100 percent of Iran’s Military capability.” Yet in the same message he acknowledged that Iran could still threaten shipping.
“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,” he wrote.
While awaiting other countries to send warships, Trump added that “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!” he said, using capital letters to emphasize his remarks.
DEATH TOLL MOUNTS IN WIDER WAR
However, with the death toll mounting, there were growing concerns Saturday that the conflict could widen rather than end soon.
Officials and analysts estimate that more than 2,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted nearly three weeks ago, including Iranian soldiers and civilians, Israeli casualties from missile attacks, and victims of strikes across Gulf states.
Iran has continued launching drones and missiles toward targets across the Middle East, while U.S. and Israeli forces have struck military installations, missile bases, and oil infrastructure inside Iran.
With global energy markets already rattled and fears growing over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats warn that further escalation could threaten international oil supplies and destabilize the broader region.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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