US President Donald Trump is working to assemble a coalition of countries aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and hopes to announce the initiative later this week, four sources confirmed to Axios on Sunday.
At the same time, according to US officials, Trump is also weighing the possibility of seizing Iran’s critical oil depot on Kharg Island if oil tankers remain trapped in the Persian Gulf. Such a move would require US troops on the ground.
The effort comes as oil and gas prices rise due to Iran’s blockade of the narrow Gulf waterway, which has disrupted a significant portion of the world’s crude oil supply.
Iran has blocked Gulf countries from exporting their oil through the strait while allowing tankers carrying Iranian crude to pass freely, enabling Tehran to continue exporting oil to China and other countries.
A source familiar with the situation told Axios that as long as the blockade remains in place and Gulf oil exports are restricted, Trump would not be able to end the war even if he wanted to.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he “demands" that NATO members and other oil-importing nations, including China, assist in securing the strait.
“We are talking to other countries about policing the straits. It will be nice to have other countries policing with us. We will help. We are getting a good response," Trump said.
Trump stated that the US is currently in talks with seven countries. He noted that some countries have already declined but emphasized that the mission “will be small" because Iran has “very little firepower" remaining.
Meanwhile, the US continues to carry out strikes against Iranian targets across the country, with particular focus on areas along the Persian Gulf and Kharg Island.
Kharg Island, located about 15 miles off Iran’s coast, handles roughly 90 percent of the country’s crude oil exports.
Trump said Friday that he had ordered strikes against military installations on the island but that oil facilities there were not targeted. Speaking to NBC on Saturday, he said the US “may hit it a few more times just for fun."
A senior White House official stressed that no final decision has been made regarding the island.
“No one should read into anything more than what the president announced," the official said. “The president has made no decisions on Kharg Island."
However, the official added that the situation could change if the effort to reopen the strait stalls.
“The president is not going to wait around and let the Iranians dictate the pace of the conflict," the official said.
Another US official said Trump has shown interest in the idea of seizing Kharg Island outright, describing it as an “economic knockout of the regime" that could effectively cut off Tehran’s funding.