Rubio to announce nations joining Hormuz coalition: Trump says Iran wants a deal

US President Donald Trump on Monday (March 16) signalled a potential coalition of countries to reopen shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, saying US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will announce the names of countries which will assist the US military efforts in securing the waterway.

Trump said he had talked with French President Emmanuel Macron about it, and his response had been "an eight, not perfect."

"I think he's going to help," Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that he also believed Britain would be involved in a Hormuz mission.

Trump's statements are seen as a pressure tactic to get European countries, especially the UK and France, to join America in its effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier in the day, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ruled out direct involvement in the conflict with Iran, pledging instead to focus on defensive measures to safeguard the interests of Britain and its partners.

"The United Kingdom will not be drawn into a wider war. Our priority is always the national interest... While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war," he said at a press conference on Monday.

The US president further claimed that Iran wants to make a deal to end the conflict; however, it is unclear who is speaking for Iran. “We don’t know their leaders,” he said.

Moving on to speak about Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, Trump said he has heard reports from his advisers and the media that he has been disfigured as a result of attacks, or that he has lost a leg.

"A lot of people are saying that he's badly disfigured. They're saying that he lost his leg -- one leg -- and he's, you know, been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he's dead. Nobody's saying he's 100 per cent healthy. You know he hasn't spoken."

Also Read: ‘Numerous countries on the way’ to Hormuz: Trump claims Iran is reduced to ‘paper tiger’

The US president made these statements as he came under intense domestic and international pressure from the energy crisis and the sharp rise in oil prices triggered by Iran's effective blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for the shipping of nearly 20 per cent of global oil supply.

The war, sparked by joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has entered its 17th day with no sign of either side ready to back down. On the opening day of the military campaign, US-Israeli forces targeted the top leadership of the Islamic Republic, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a decapitation strike on a high-security compound in Tehran.

In retaliation, Tehran resorted to launching missile and drone strikes on strategic locations, including US military bases in Gulf nations and key energy and financial centres in these countries, along with closing the Strait of Hormuz to put pressure on Washington.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)