President Donald Trump has confirmed that the U.S. Navy will soon escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions with Iran.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, March 13, before boarding Air Force One, Trump said the escorts would begin “very soon”.
Asked again how long he thinks the war will last, he said, “I can’t tell you that”.
“I mean, I have my own idea, but what good does it do?” he said. “It’ll be as long as it’s necessary. They’ve been decimated.”
The president has previously said that the war will end if Iran offers their unconditional surrender. Asked what that meant, he said their navy, air force, and most of their military are “gone.”
“It means, very simply, that we are in a position of dominance that nobody’s ever seen before,” he said, adding: “Whether or not they’re able to say the words.”
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Trump was also questioned about his goals with the war in Iran as compared to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A reporter asked if the two share the same objectives.
“Well, I think they might be a little different, I guess,” he said. “But he will tell you there’s never been a power like the power of the United States.”
U.S. strikes Kharg Island
Shortly after boarding Air Force One for Florida, Trump, in a post on Truth Social, announced a U.S. military strike targeting the Islamic Republic’s key military assets on Kharg Island.
The island is a small, five-mile-long outcropping located about 15 nautical miles off the coast of Iran, considered Tehran’s “oil lifeline”.
“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East and totally obliterated every military target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island. I have chosen not to wipe out the oil infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump said.
The president stated that Iran currently cannot respond to U.S. strikes.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, nor will it have the ability to threaten the United States of America, the Middle East, or, for that matter, the world!”
Trump reiterated that the U.S. maintains a significant military presence in the region and stated that operations will continue until objectives are met.
Naval escorts planned for commercial tankers through Strait of Hormuz
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously said that the United States could soon deploy naval escorts for commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and facilitates roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply.
Also Read: Iranian Ship Sailing Near American Aircraft Carrier Hit by Strikes
Despite concerns about Iran potentially deploying naval mines, Bessent said some tankers, including Iranian and Chinese-flagged vessels, were still transiting the strait.
The Treasury Secretary emphasized that escort operations would begin “as soon as it is militarily possible” and that President Trump holds the ultimate authority over the deployment.
A report by CNN on Saturday quoting an unnamed Iranian official revealed that Iran could allow a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if the cargo is traded in Chinese yuan.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is also sending additional forces to the region. A U.S. official confirmed to the Associated Press that approximately 2,500 Marines, along with at least one amphibious assault ship, are en route.
Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli are part of the deployment, representing a significant augmentation of U.S. military presence in the Middle East.
There is so much confusion on when escorts will arrive and how effective they might be- depending on the source that one is tempted not to give a damn. The media is 100 % propaganda and we are no longer are an informed public – just one waiting to be persuaded. Does that mean democracy is dead?