The United States President, Donald Trump, said on Monday (13) that the United States (US) would probably take control of the Strait of Hormuz and should be compensated for safeguarding the strategic waterway.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that,” Trump said in a telephone interview with Fox News’ Fox & Friends.
He added that the US should be paid for securing the route because many countries that rely on it are wealthy.
“We’re going to guard it. We’re going to get paid for guarding it – a lot of money,” Trump said. “We’re going to be reimbursed, because the other nations are very wealthy. They’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing.”
The Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for global oil exports, has become a focal point of escalating tensions between the US and Iran. Iran has kept the waterway closed following what it described as an unauthorized transit, causing oil prices to rise and fuelling concerns over global inflation.
Trump also accused Iran of reneging on previous agreements.
“We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the only way to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was for the US to end its military operations in the area, warning that continued intervention could further disrupt the global oil and gas sector.
The remarks came as US and Iranian forces continued exchanging missile and drone attacks, raising fears of a broader regional conflict. (Newswire/Reuters)