The Strait of Hormuz should remain closed.
Three weeks into open conflict between the United States and Iran, the world watches a critical chokepoint — the Strait of Hormuz — become the fulcrum of a crisis that touches every nation dependent on the flow of oil. President Trump has called on major powers to share the burden of securing these waters, while Iran, under new leadership, has chosen escalation over negotiation, striking energy infrastructure and threatening broader targets. With more than two thousand lives already lost and diplomacy actively resisted by both sides, this confrontation has moved beyond a bilateral dispute into a test of how the international order responds when the arteries of global commerce come under fire.
- Iran launched nine ballistic missiles and thirty-three drones at the UAE in a single day, suspending oil loading operations at Fujairah and sending civil defense teams into burning debris fields by nightfall.
- Trump's public call for China, France, Japan, South Korea, and Britain to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz was met with silence — none of the named nations indicated they would comply.
- Iran's new Supreme Leader declared the strait should remain closed, while the Foreign Minister warned that any strike on Iranian energy facilities would guarantee retaliation, leaving no visible off-ramp.
- Over two thousand people have been killed since airstrikes began on February 28, including fifteen factory workers in Isfahan, as U.S. Central Command reported striking more than ninety sites on Kharg Island alone.
- Trump's administration reportedly rebuffed mediation attempts by Middle Eastern allies, while Iran rejected any ceasefire not tied to a halt in U.S. and Israeli strikes — both sides signaling a willingness to endure prolonged conflict.
- Global oil markets face sustained pressure as the world's primary shipping artery remains threatened, with disruptions already spreading from Fujairah to Baghdad, where Americans were urged to evacuate after a missile struck the U.S. embassy.
Three weeks after the United States began airstrikes on Iran, the conflict showed no sign of cooling. From Mar-a-Lago, President Trump took to Truth Social to call on China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and others to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, pledging American coordination in return. None of the countries he named responded with any commitment.
The urgency behind the request was real. The strait is the world's primary passage for oil and gas, and Iran had already demonstrated its capacity to disrupt it. On Saturday, a drone attack on Fujairah — a single emirate exporting roughly one percent of global oil demand — suspended loading operations and left civil defense teams battling fires from falling debris into the night.
Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed power following his father's death, declared through state television that the strait should remain closed. His Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, rejected American claims that Khamenei had been wounded and dismissed any ceasefire proposal that did not include a halt to U.S. and Israeli strikes. Iran's Ministry of Defense reported launching nine ballistic missiles and thirty-three drones toward the UAE that day alone, while warning residents near Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Fujairah to evacuate and declaring U.S. bank branches across the Gulf to be legitimate targets.
The human cost continued to rise. More than two thousand people had been killed since airstrikes began on February 28, most of them in Iran. A strike on a factory in Isfahan killed at least fifteen workers. U.S. Central Command reported hitting over ninety sites on Kharg Island, targeting naval mine storage and missile bunkers. Iran disputed the framing and promised consequences.
Diplomacy had effectively collapsed. Three sources told Reuters that the Trump administration had actively turned away mediation efforts from regional allies. Britain offered cautious language about discussing options; France spoke of assembling a coalition once conditions stabilized — a formulation that implied no action was imminent. With neither side willing to step back, the world's energy markets braced for a disruption that showed every sign of deepening.
The third week of open conflict between the United States and Iran showed no signs of cooling. On Saturday, President Trump posted on Truth Social from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, calling on China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and other nations to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz. "The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help - A LOT!" he wrote, pledging U.S. coordination to ensure smooth operations. None of the countries he named indicated they would comply.
The stakes were concrete and global. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's primary artery for oil and gas shipments, and Iran's demonstrated ability to disrupt traffic through it was already rippling through energy markets. A single emirate, Fujairah, exports roughly one million barrels per day of crude oil—about one percent of world demand—and even that narrow outlet had seen loading operations suspended after a drone attack on Saturday. Civil defense forces were still fighting fires from falling debris as of late evening.
Iran showed no interest in negotiation. The country's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who had assumed power after his father's death, declared through a statement read by a television presenter that the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi rejected American speculation that Khamenei was wounded, insisting the new leader was performing his duties. On Saturday alone, Iran's Ministry of Defense reported launching nine ballistic missiles and thirty-three drones toward the United Arab Emirates. The country warned residents near major ports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Fujairah to evacuate, and declared that U.S. bank branches throughout the Gulf were legitimate targets.
The human toll was mounting. Since airstrikes began on February 28, more than two thousand people had been killed, the vast majority in Iran. On Saturday, a strike on a refrigerator and heater factory in Isfahan killed at least fifteen workers. The U.S. Central Command said it had struck more than ninety sites on Kharg Island, an Iranian energy facility about fifteen miles offshore, targeting naval mine storage, missile bunkers, and other military installations. Iran disputed the characterization, with Foreign Minister Araqchi warning that any attack on Iranian energy facilities would draw retaliation.
Diplomacy was nowhere to be found. Three sources told Reuters that Trump's administration had actively rebuffed attempts by Middle Eastern allies to open negotiations aimed at ending the war. Iran, for its part, had rejected any ceasefire proposal that did not include a halt to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Both sides appeared to be settling in for a prolonged conflict.
Britain and France offered only cautious language. A British Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the government was discussing options with allies to ensure shipping security, but offered no timeline or commitment. French officials said they were working to assemble a coalition to secure the strait once the security situation stabilized—a formulation that suggested no immediate action was planned.
Meanwhile, the disruptions to global oil supply continued to worsen. The U.S. had warned American citizens on Saturday to leave Iraq after a missile attack on the embassy in Baghdad overnight Friday. A drone strike had disrupted a major energy hub in the United Arab Emirates. The world's oil markets, already volatile from the conflict's opening weeks, faced the prospect of sustained pressure as long as neither side showed willingness to step back from the brink.
Citações Notáveis
The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help - A LOT!— President Trump, in a Truth Social post
The Strait of Hormuz should remain closed.— Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why is Trump calling on other countries to send warships rather than simply securing the strait himself?
The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint that serves dozens of nations. If the U.S. alone polices it, every country that benefits from the oil flowing through bears no cost. Trump's framing shifts the burden—he's saying if you need the oil, you help protect it.
And none of them are taking him up on it?
Not yet. France and Britain are talking about assembling a coalition, but only after the security situation stabilizes. That's diplomatic language for "we're not committing to anything right now."
What does Iran actually want at this point?
A complete halt to U.S. and Israeli strikes. Until that happens, they've said no ceasefire. They're also making it clear they can hurt the global economy—they've proven they can disrupt oil loading, attack ports, threaten American facilities. It's leverage.
Is there any chance this ends soon?
The signals suggest no. Both sides are dug in. The U.S. is not negotiating. Iran is escalating. Over two thousand people are already dead. The longer this goes, the more entrenched both sides become.
What happens to oil prices if this drags on?
They stay elevated, maybe climb higher. Fujairah alone exports a million barrels a day. If Iranian attacks keep disrupting loading operations, that supply vanishes from the market. Every country that depends on Gulf oil—which is most of them—feels the pinch.