Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Mar 15: Donald Trump has urged several countries to deploy ships to secure the strategic Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran continued into the third week.

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump called on nations including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom to send naval ships to the key shipping lane to ensure maritime security.

He said the United States would continue to bomb the shoreline and target Iranian ships and boats as part of its military operations.

Since February 28, the United States and Israel have reportedly launched a major joint attack on Iran. Tehran’s retaliation has widened the conflict across the Gulf region.

Iranian strikes near the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted maritime traffic in the waterway, which is critical for global crude oil shipments and supply chains.

Trump claimed that the US had already destroyed “100 per cent” of Iran’s military capability but warned that Tehran could still launch limited attacks.

“It’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along this waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” he said.

Global oil and gas prices have surged amid the escalating tensions after Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow shipping corridor between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman — which handles nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.