Trump Vows To Keep Strait of Hormuz Open as America Sends Warships, Global Coalition Forms

President Trump pledged Saturday to quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz with help from a multinational naval coalition, even while claiming to have “destroyed 100%” of Iran’s military capability in a two-week campaign that has disrupted global oil supplies and raised fears of a broader regional confrontation.“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,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. He called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to contribute vessels, saying those nations have been harmed by what he described as “this artificial constraint.”Mr. Trump claimed U.S. forces had already neutralized Iran’s military capacity but acknowledged the threat was far from over. “We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, 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,” he wrote.The president struck a combative tone regarding operations along Iran’s coast. “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,” Mr. Trump said. “One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!”The Pentagon confirmed the deployment of the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, along with thousands of troops to the region. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the use of “an element of an amphibious ready group and attached Marine expeditionary unit, typically consisting of several warships and 5,000 Marines and sailors,” according to the Wall Street Journal, though Fox News reported the figure at about 2,500 Marines.Such groups are trained to land troops and equipment from vessels onto potentially hostile shores using aircraft and landing craft, as well as for more limited small-scale incursions with fixed objectives.Separately, a missile reportedly struck a helipad inside the American Embassy compound in Baghdad early Saturday, according to two Iraqi security officials who spoke to the Associated Press. Smoke was seen rising from inside the compound. The embassy had issued a security alert Friday warning that “Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups pose a significant threat to public safety in Iraq.”The USS Tripoli, based in Japan, was spotted sailing south of Taiwan on Thursday. Its expected two-week voyage to the region aligns with Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s prediction that the waterway would be reopened “by the end of the month.” The precise composition of the deployment remains unclear, with the Pentagon declining to confirm the ship’s movements, citing operational security.The deployment follows a pattern seen earlier in the conflict. The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Arabian Sea in late January, and another carrier group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford departed Crete for the eastern Mediterranean just days before initial strikes were launched. Mr. Trump’s administration has repeatedly used naval positioning as both a tactical and symbolic signal of intent.Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday ordered his forces to keep the strait closed for the duration of the conflict. The closure has disrupted global supply chains, driving up the prices of oil, gas, and fertilizer. Trump administration officials, Pentagon leaders, and Republican lawmakers have largely downplayed concerns about rising energy costs.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speculated Thursday that an “international coalition” escorting oil tankers through the strait “would have a big effect.” In a separate development, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confirmed Friday that the U.S. had sent 10,000 interceptor drones, previously deployed against Russian forces in Ukraine, to counter Iranian strikes targeting American military positions, as well as civilians in Israel and Arab states.Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday criticized Mr. Trump for easing oil sanctions on Russia, saying all other G7 leaders had opposed the move at a virtual meeting this week. “Now is not the time to ease sanctions, for whatever reason,” he said during a visit to Andoya spaceport in Norway.

Trump Vows To Keep Strait of Hormuz Open as America Sends Warships, Global Coalition Forms

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