US President Donald Trump is trying to rally international support to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway where oil shipments have been shudderingly halted since the US and Israel began their war with Iran.
He said the United States has asked countries for help and received “some positive responses,” but argued that some countries “don’t want to get involved.” So far, President Trump’s allies have not changed their stance on the idea of sending in warships, at least publicly.
Late Monday, President Trump said “a number of countries have told me that they are preparing to do so,” although he did not name specifics. He complained that other countries, including Britain, were not keen to help the United States, even though they had received security assistance for decades.
Meanwhile, oil and gas prices remained high on Monday as strikes continued in the Middle East region, following last weekend’s attacks on oil facilities in the region.
Here’s what you need to know on day 17.
What are the main headings?
Strait of Hormuz: President Trump sought to allay concerns about the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, expecting “China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others” to send warships to help secure the vital shipping lane. He warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if America’s allies fail to help. So far, Australia and Japan have said they have no plans to send ships. Britain said it was working with allies to reopen the Channel, but gave no details. Foreign ministers of EU countries decided on Monday against expanding naval operations in the region.
Iran open to dialogue: Iran’s foreign minister said Iran is open to talks with countries that want safe access to the strait. However, he also said that Iran was not seeking a ceasefire and that it “has no hesitation in defending its country and is ready to continue the war for as long as necessary.”
Threat to ships: The Channel remains under a “significant” threat, although no incidents have been reported in the past three days, according to the British Maritime Authority. The report said at least 20 ships have been attacked in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman since the war began.
Expanding operations in Lebanon: “Hundreds of thousands” of people are evacuated from southern Lebanon in what Israel describes as a “limited” expansion of ground operations. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military had begun ground exercises to “eliminate the threat” and protect the population of northern Israel. Western leaders have called for an “immediate de-escalation” of tensions in the country.
War schedule: President Trump said the United States and Israel are largely aligned on military goals, but acknowledged that their objectives may not be the same. On Monday, President Trump once again offered a vague timeline for how long the war with Iran would last, saying it would be “soon to be over.” Administration officials have said they expect the conflict with Iran to end within weeks, or “sooner than that.” Israel told CNN it plans to attack “thousands” of targets over the next three weeks and could strike many more.
Strike continues: Thick black smoke was seen rising over Tehran early Monday as Iranian state media reported a massive boom in the capital. Earlier, the Israeli military announced it had launched a series of attacks targeting infrastructure in the city. Iran claimed on Sunday that it had launched about 700 missiles and 3,600 drones at U.S. and Israeli targets since the war began.
Regional attacks: Flights were suspended after a “drone-related incident” caused a fuel tank fire near Dubai International Airport in the early hours of Monday. One person was killed when a vehicle was hit by a missile in Abu Dhabi on Monday. A barrage of rockets and drone fire from Hezbollah wounded four people in northern Israel on Monday afternoon, Israeli emergency officials said. Additionally, in Iraq, several rockets hit Baghdad International Airport and its surrounding area, including facilities used by the US Embassy, injuring five people.
New warning: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned on Monday that US-linked industrial facilities across the region could be under imminent attack and called on the US to evacuate personnel from them, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Death toll rises: More than 2,200 people have been killed across the Middle East in conflicts, according to a CNN tally of figures reported by various authorities. Iran has suffered the most casualties, with more than 1,300 dead, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said in an update last week. At least 850 people were killed in Lebanon, and dozens more in other neighboring countries.
Injured soldiers: Approximately 200 U.S. soldiers have been injured in seven countries during the ongoing military operation against Iran, according to U.S. Central Command spokesman Timothy Hawkins. To date, 13 U.S. military personnel have died in combat.
