The tension between the United States and Iran escalates: Trump proposes turning Washington into the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz

The new military offensive launched by the United States against Iranian targets and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Tehran have further escalated tensions in the Middle East. In this context, US President, Donald Trump, defended this Monday that Washington assume control of the security of this strategic maritime route and demanded economic compensation from the countries that benefit from its protection.

The statements come after the United States attacked various Iranian infrastructures over the weekend with the aim of reducing Tehran's military capacity to act against commercial vessels crossing the strait. According to the US Central Command, the operation targeted missile and drone facilities, naval capabilities, weapons depots, communication networks, and coastal surveillance posts.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump assured that his country will guarantee the security of the maritime passage and stated that Washington will eventually become the "guardian" of the strait.

"We're going to hit them very hard, and we're going to keep the strait safe, and we're probably going to administer it. We're going to become the guardian of the strait (...) And we should be compensated for that," the president said.

Trump justified this demand by arguing that numerous countries obtain significant economic benefits from the maritime traffic that circulates through this strategic route, through which traditionally about a fifth of the world's commercialized oil transits. "They're on our side, and you can't expect us to do that for free (...) What we want is to be reimbursed for doing all of this, for putting our people in harm's way," Trump declared.

"We hit them very hard last night. Every time they send a drone, we hit them very hard. What nobody knows is that we had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it," he stated to justify the latest bombings.

The Iranian response was not long in coming. Tehran has launched attacks against several Washington-allied countries in the region—including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates—all of them with a US military presence. In addition, Iranian authorities have announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz “until further notice,” a measure that threatens to disrupt international energy trade and increase uncertainty in the markets.