Trump urges naval patrols in Strait of Hormuz, denies aircraft losses at Saudi base
Shafaq News- Washington
US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged several countries to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz to keep the strategic waterway “open and safe” amid rising tensions with Iran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that states affected by what he described as “Iran’s attempted closure” of the strait could join the United States in safeguarding maritime traffic, expressing hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom would contribute naval vessels “so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated.”
He argued that Washington had already eliminated “100% of Iran’s military capability,” while cautioning that Tehran could still disrupt shipping through drones, naval mines, or short-range missiles along the corridor. “The United States will be bombing the shoreline and continually shooting Iranian boats and ships out of the water,” he wrote, adding that Washington intends to ensure the route remains “open, safe, and free.”
Trump also addressed reports of an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, which hosts US aerial refueling aircraft, in a separate post. He rejected claims that the planes had been destroyed, indicating that four of the five aircraft sustained minimal damage and have already returned to service, while a fifth suffered limited damage and is expected to resume operations soon. He also criticized media coverage of the incident, accusing several outlets of publishing “misleading headlines.”
