US President Donald Trump has called on several other countries to send ships to the Middle East to open the Strait of Hormuz and ease the global oil supply disruptions brought on by his war in Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical but narrow waterway in the Gulf region through which ships carrying one-fifth of the world's oil supply pass. It has all but shut due to the war in Iran. Trump today declared he has "beaten and completely decimated Iran, both militarily, economically, and in every other way", but in the same breath asked countries to help secure the 39-kilometre-wide passage. "We have already destroyed 100 per cent 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 said in a Truth Social post. "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. "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. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!" The US will be coordinating with affected countries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It comes just a day after the US bombed Kharg Island - Iran's coral outcrop that produces 90 per cent of the country's oil supply, or 950 million barrels, each year. Trump said he has only struck military targets and left oil infrastructure unharmed, but warned that he will "immediately reconsider" if ships are not allowed to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz. In response to the call to help, the UK Defence Ministry said: "We are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region." France is also trying to secure the Strait of Hormuz, but Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin told France24 that "there is no question of sending any vessels" to the area. The Strait of Hormuz carries oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran to markets in Asia, including Iran's main customer, China. While there are limited options for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to avoid the passage, most have no alternate route. The Islamic regime has vowed to block the region's oil exports, saying it would not allow "even a single litre" to be shipped to its enemies. The Strait of Hormuz's closure has disrupted oil supply across the world, causing prices to surge to $US100 per barrel. Fuel prices are feared to only increase, with prices at the pump exceeding $2 across Australia. The International Energy Agency has agreed to the largest release of 400 million barrels of oil from its emergency reserves in history due to the supply disruptions on the Strait of Hormuz. Australia, which imports 90 per cent of its oil, has also released 20 per cent of its petrol and diesel stock to help areas experiencing low supply. Energy Minister Chris Bowen this week confirmed the country has 1.6 billion litres of petrol, 2.7 billion litres of diesel and 800 million litres of jet fuel available - translating to 37 days' worth of petrol, 30 days of diesel and 29 days of jet fuel. Political scientist Simon Jackson said Australia is at the end of the fuel supply chain and suggested there could be more pain. "The game theory element of this is Iran could be holding back, digging in for protracted conflict, because the longer that they can make this thing go, the more pain comes onto the West through what's happening," he told Today. - With Associated Press NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms. - Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play - Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here - Sign up to our breaking newsletter here
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.