President Trump is calling on other nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after claiming the United States had completely destroyed Iran’s military. This narrow sea passage in the Persian Gulf is extremely important, carrying nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supply. It has been effectively closed to tanker traffic since Iran began targeting ships at the start of the war.
According to Time, Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help – A LOT!”
Earlier, Trump acknowledged that even though the U.S. had “already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability,” it was still possible for Iran 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 expressed hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom would send warships to help, though none of those countries have said they would.
Trump’s call for help comes after a major U.S. strike on Iran’s key oil hub
Just a day before Trump’s post, the Pentagon carried out a “large-scale precision strike” on Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil hub about 300 miles northwest of the Strait in the northern Persian Gulf. The island handles around 90% of Iran’s oil exports. U.S. Central Command announced the strike destroyed “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites.”
The US armed forces claimed to hit more than 90 Iranian military targets while keeping the oil infrastructure intact. You can read more about how Trump announced the Kharg Island strike and what followed shortly after.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a key battleground in the conflict. By blocking large amounts of oil from passing through this waterway, Iran has managed to put financial pressure on the U.S., its Gulf allies, and global oil markets. This has given Iran significant leverage despite being militarily outmatched. While forcing the Strait open could remove that leverage, it also risks escalation from Iran that could further shake global energy markets.
Iran’s armed forces made clear they would respond to any attack on their oil and gas infrastructure. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, Iran’s military stated, “If this happens, all oil and gas infrastructure in the region in which the U.S. and its allies have interests will be set on fire and destroyed.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards specifically called out the United Arab Emirates, claiming U.S. missile attacks had been launched from there. Trump has also been defending the Iran war by citing decades of LGBTQ executions to explain his reasoning for the conflict.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Iran considers it a “legitimate right to defend its national sovereignty and territory by targeting the origin of American enemy missile launches in the shipping ports, docks, and military shelters of the U.S. hidden in some cities of the UAE.”
The UAE’s Ministry of Defense reported that nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones were launched from Iran toward the country on Saturday. Debris from an intercepted Iranian drone hit the Fujairah port, an oil facility in the UAE. Meanwhile, around 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are reportedly heading to the Middle East, according to U.S. officials.
Published: Mar 15, 2026 09:15 am