US President Donald Trump said he had requested that seven countries send warships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open during the ongoing conflict with Iran. The strait is a critical shipping route through which about one-fifth of the world's traded oil normally passes. Trump stated that the United States does not rely heavily on this route for oil, but many other countries do. He did not name the countries he contacted, although he previously mentioned China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom in a social media post.
Trump made this statement while interacting with the media, stating that these countries should help protect the shipping route because they depend on oil that moves through it. However, so far, none of them have made firm commitments.
Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that several countries had requested safe passage for their ships, and some vessels from different nations had been allowed to pass. He added that Iran does not see any reason to negotiate with the United States about ending the war and blamed the conflict on earlier attacks by the U.S. and Israel.
Meanwhile, as the West Asia conflict, now in its seventeenth day, missile and drone attacks have continued across the region. Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, have reported new attacks. In Dubai, flights were briefly suspended after a drone strike caused a fire at a fuel tank, although no injuries were reported.
The war has caused heavy casualties. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, more than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran. Iranian missile attacks have also killed civilians in Gulf countries and in Israel. In Israel, Iranian strikes have killed at least 12 people and damaged several buildings in the Tel Aviv area as the fighting continues across the region.
