US to Become 'Guardian' of Hormuz Strait: Trump
Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters
President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States could take control of the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that Washington should be compensated for ensuring security along the vital maritime passage.
Speaking by phone on Fox News' Fox & Friends, Trump said, "We will keep the strait safe and probably manage it. We will become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call ourselves the 'Guardian Angels of the Strait.' And we should be paid for doing it."
Meanwhile, shipping data showed that the number of oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours fell to its lowest level in two months. The decline comes amid heightened security concerns following renewed exchanges of attacks between the United States and Iran and attacks on commercial vessels.
Multiple shipping industry sources said a growing number of vessels are sailing with their publicly accessible Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to determine the actual number of ships passing through the strait.
According to an analysis by Kpler, traffic of oil and gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to its lowest level since May 25.
Source: Reuters (adapted)
