President Trump said on Saturday that the United States is seeking an international naval coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In a message posted on Truth Social, he said ‘many countries’ affected by Iran’s attempted blockade, including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain, should deploy warships alongside the U.S. Navy to secure the waterway. In the meantime, he warned that American forces would continue attacking Iranian maritime assets and coastal positions, after the U.S. had carried out one of its most significant direct attacks on Iranian military infrastructure since the war began with its large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island, Iran’s principal oil export hub in the northern Persian Gulf.

Britain is reportedly considering sending thousands of ‘Octopus’ interceptor drones to the region to strengthen defences against Iranian Shahed drones, in what may also be seen as an effort by Keir Starmer to counter criticism from President Trump over Britain’s response to the war. The systems are being manufactured in the UK for Ukraine to counter Russian drone attacks.

The International Energy Agency has warned that Iran’s closure of the Strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, represents the largest oil supply disruption ever recorded.

Tehran, however, signalled it had no intention of backing down. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz ‘under the full control of the IRGC Navy’ and warned that ships belonging to ‘the aggressors and their allies’........

© The Spectator