March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday called on nations to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipping as Iranian forces continue their retaliation campaign amid U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman. Tehran's ability to stop shipping through the channel could give it enormous leverage over the U.S. and its allies.
"The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well."
In an earlier post on Saturday, Trump predicted that "Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe."
Trump wrote that he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would send ships to the area.
"In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water," he wrote.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether any countries had agreed to send ships.
Western nations have bolstered their military presence in the eastern Mediterranean during the conflict in Iran, focusing on the security of Cyprus after an Iranian-made drone hit a British military base on the island on March 2.
Britain is also exploring additional options for deployments to the Gulf after Iran stepped up attacks on vessels, defence minister John Healey said on Thursday. The British government is talking to allies and partners about "a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region," a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said on Saturday.
The French Navy is deploying about a dozen naval vessels, including its aircraft carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and potentially the Strait of Hormuz as part of defensive support to allies threatened by the conflict.
France has been consulting with European, Asian and Gulf Arab states over the past week with a view to putting together a plan for warships eventually to escort tankers through the strait, French officials said.
Trump said on Thursday the U.S. was willing to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz to protect them from Iranian attack, as his administration searches for ways to ease high oil prices fuelled by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Toronto and Milana Vinn in New York; Editing by Toby Chopra, Sergio Non, Rod Nickel)
