Trump sees coalition to escort ships through Strait of Hormuz – report

The Trump administration plans to announce as early as this week that multiple countries have agreed to form a coalition that will escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, March 15, citing US officials.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

This comes as Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hailed direct talks with Iran as the most effective way to restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, in an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday.

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What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for oil?

US President Donald Trump on Saturday, March 14, called on nations to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipping as Iranian forces respond to US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social account, said he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would send ships to help protect the vital, narrow passage through which about a fifth of global oil passes.

Jaishankar said he was engaged in talks with Tehran and that “talking has yielded some results.”

Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 metric tons of LPG, crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday en route to India.

Jaishankar told the FT that this was an example of what diplomacy could bring.

“Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution than we don’t,” he told the newspaper.

Jaishankar said there was no “blanket arrangement” for Indian-flagged ships and that Iran had not received anything in exchange.

When asked whether European countries could replicate India’s arrangement, Jaishankar said each relationship with Iran “stands on its own merits,” making comparisons difficult, though he added he would be happy to share India’s approach with EU capitals and noted that many had also held talks with Tehran.

“While this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that,” he told the FT. – Rappler.com