U.S. President Donald Trump urged commercial vessels to keep sailing through the Strait of Hormuz despite the ongoing conflict involving Iran, saying Tehran no longer has the naval capability to threaten shipping in the region.
“Show some courage. There is nothing to be afraid of; Iran has no navy, and we sank all their ships,” Trump said while speaking about maritime tensions around the critical shipping route.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump argued that ships should continue to pass through the strategic waterway because Iran’s naval strength has been significantly weakened and is no longer capable of disrupting maritime traffic.
His remarks come amid rising tensions in West Asia following a conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that began after coordinated strikes on February 28.
During the interview, Trump also addressed speculation surrounding Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who took over the role after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a strike on Tehran on February 28. Commenting on reports about Mojtaba’s health after recent attacks, Trump said, “I think he is injured, but I think he is probably alive in some form.”
The comments follow growing speculation about the Iranian leader’s condition after reports suggested he may have been injured during U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting a compound in Tehran that also killed his father. Iranian state media on Thursday published a statement attributed to Mojtaba amid the rumours about his health.
In the message addressed to the Iranian public, Mojtaba vowed that Iran would continue its fight and avenge those killed in the conflict. “We will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs,” the statement said.
Trump also claimed that before the conflict escalated, Iran had deployed a large number of missiles aimed at several countries across West Asia. “Iran had thousands of missiles pointed at all these West Asia countries for the last four months,” he said.
According to Trump, Tehran had intended to assert regional dominance over Gulf nations such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. “All these nations were afraid of Iran, and they are not anymore. But they had reason to be afraid. We have knocked the hell out of them as no other nation could, and they still have remnants left,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz, situated between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most crucial oil transit routes, carrying a major share of global crude shipments. Any disruption in traffic through the narrow passage typically raises concerns about global energy supplies and maritime security.
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