Tehran mocks Trump for ‘begging’ for help to secure oil shipments (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

Summary

Tehran mocks Trump for ‘begging’ for help to secure oil shipments (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) The US security umbrella promised to American allies in the Middle East has proven to be “full of holes,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, after President Donald Trump called for a broad international response to Tehran’s retaliatory attacks. The top Iranian diplomat called on neighboring states hosting U.S. military bases to “expel foreign aggressors,” claiming that American forces are “inviting rather than deterring trouble.” President Trump demanded earlier in the day that China, Japan, and other nations relying on oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz deploy their naval units to protect maritime traffic from Iranian strikes. Trump simultaneously claimed that Iran had been “totally decapitated” and its military capability had been “destroyed 100%” – yet admitted it was still “easy” for Tehran to send a “drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile” against shipping. Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here. 14 March 202622:54 GMT Several drones struck Kuwait International Airport – which serves as a major U.S. air logistics hub and hosts the 387th Air Expeditionary Group – and damaged its radar system, according to the country’s civil aviation authorities. “Kuwait International Airport was targeted this evening by several drones, which damaged the airport’s radar system,” spokesperson for Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Abdullah Al-Rajhi, said in a statement on X. Authorities did not provide details on the extent of the damage, after videos circulated by pro-Iranian sources showed over two dozen explosions in the area. The moment of the strike on American bases in Kuwait a few hours ago. pic.twitter.com/S7oplwKCEH— Thomas Keith (@iwasnevrhere_) March 14, 2026 - 22:21 GMT Israel allegedly informed Washington that it is running critically low on long-range missile interceptors and is “coming up with solutions to address” the shortage as the war with Iran stretches into its 16th day, US officials told Semafor. While the official insisted that American stockpiles remain sufficient, reports suggest Washington is quietly redeploying assets from other regions. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said this week that US air defense weapons stationed at Osan Air Base may have been transferred to the Middle East, acknowledging Seoul’s opposition but noting it cannot “fully enforce” its position. President Donald Trump has touted a “virtually unlimited” US munitions supply, even as observers caution that stockpiles are lower than desired. The Pentagon maintains it has “everything it needs” to execute its missions, but its Gulf allies are reportedly facing shortages, forced on a daily basis to intercept hundreds of missiles and cheap drones targeted at US bases on their territory. - 21:53 GMT The Strait of Hormuz remains open for international shipping, except for vessels belonging to the United States, Israel, and their allies, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, has said. “The Strait of Hormuz has not been militarily blocked and is merely under control,” the statement said. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi similarly told US media earlier in the day that the strategic waterway is closed only to hostile nations. “It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass,” Araghchi said. - 21:46 GMT “The touted US security umbrella has proven to be full of holes and inviting rather than deterring trouble. The US is now begging others, even China, to help it make Hormuz safe,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on X, calling on “brotherly neighbors to expel foreign aggressors, especially as their only concern is Israel.” Touted US security umbrella has proven to be full of holes and inviting rather than deterring trouble. US is now begging others, even China, to help it make Hormuz safe. Iran calls on brotherly neighbors to expel foreign aggressors, especially as their only concern is Israel.— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 14, 2026 - 21:42 GMT President Trump has promised to “coordinate” with foreign states that agree to send their military vessels to the Strait of Hormuz “so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well.” “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!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. In a previous post, the US president said: “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.”