US President Donald Trump declared that the United States is taking control of the Strait of Hormuz and that Washington will be paid for guaranteeing the security of one of the most important shipping routes in the world.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said that the US could take on the role of protecting the strait.
“The United States will probably run the Strait of Hormuz. If we run it, we will be paid. We will become the keeper of the Strait and we will be paid to guard it.” he declared, adding that “the United States is taking control of the Straits”.
The statement comes at a time when tensions between the US and Iran have escalated significantly.
According to Axios, US forces have launched a new wave of strikes against Iranian targets. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that dozens of targets in several areas were struck with precision-guided munitions, with the aim of weakening Iran’s ability to carry out attacks on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US operation came in response to a missile fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against a merchant ship, as well as threats by Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to the US attacks, IRGC forces have struck US military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, raising fears of a further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
