Trump: US could escort ships through Strait of Hormuz, vows to hit Iran “very hard”

US President Donald Trump said the United States would escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary and warned that Washington would strike Iran “very hard over the next week,” according to an interview aired on March 13.

Speaking to Brian Kilmeade in an interview broadcast in part on Fox & Friends on Fox News, Trump was asked whether the United States would help oil tankers transit the key shipping lane amid rising tensions.

“We would do it if we needed to. But, you know, hopefully things are going to go very well. We're going to see what happens,” Trump said, without providing further details.

He added: “We're going to be hitting them very hard over the next week.”

Trump also said: “We’ve knocked out most of their missiles. We’ve knocked out many of their drones. We knocked out a lot of the manufacturing areas where they manufacture the missiles and now the drones. We’re hitting them harder than anybody’s been hit since World War II.”

The remarks come as the United States and other countries grapple with surging energy prices during the second week of the U.S.-Israel war. Oil prices were hovering near $100 a barrel on March 13, reflecting market concerns over potential disruptions to supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global crude shipments.

By Sabina Mammadli