Washington, 17 March (H.S.): U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark ultimatum to seven nations, demanding they deploy warships immediately to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as Iranian missile strikes continue to hammer Gulf states and threaten global oil flows.
Trump's directive comes amid escalating chaos in the Middle East, where the strategic chokepoint—through which roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil passes—faces potential blockade. Speaking forcefully, the president emphasized negotiations with oil-dependent countries to form a multinational coalition for policing the waterway, underscoring the urgency as Brent crude hovered near $105 per barrel amid supply fears.
European allies expressed reservations, pressing for clarity on the conflict's timeline before committing naval assets. This push follows intense U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran's military infrastructure, coupled with Israel's operations against Iran-backed groups in Lebanon; Iran retaliated with a drone attack on a Dubai fuel depot, sparking a brief blaze but no casualties, and briefly shuttering the key airport.
Tehran leveled unverified accusations against the U.S. for allegedly staging attacks from UAE facilities targeting Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export hub. Concurrently, a separate Pakistani airstrike devastated a Kabul drug rehabilitation hospital, claiming over 400 lives—mostly patients—and injuring 250, in what Afghan officials branded the deadliest single incident in the nation's history; Pakistan denied striking civilians, insisting targets were militant sites.
Trump's Hormuz gambit signals a broader U.S. strategy to counter Iranian aggression, echoing his past warnings that Tehran acquiring nuclear capabilities could blow up the entire Middle East. With around 200 U.S. troops injured across seven nations in the fray, the administration also urges allies to blacklist Iran's military and Hezbollah as terrorist entities.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
