Rutte acknowledged that the president was angry because he feels that European and other allies have been too slow, adding that a group of 22 countries is coming together to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is free.
Iran has stated that the Strait of Hormuz is open for ships from countries that are not considered enemies, indicating a selective blockade. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that they are ready to provide safe passage to Japanese vessels, urging them to contact Iran for discussions on transit.
The Iranian military's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran has sent energy markets into turmoil. A quarter of the world's natural gas, a fifth of its crude oil, and tons of critical materials for fertilizers and other petroleum products pass through this strategic Persian Gulf waterway.
The Trump administration purged the State Department of its oil and gas experts last year, prior to launching its war on Iran, including people who would be responsible for examining scenarios related to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a new report says as the gas prices spike.
Israel claimed on Wednesday to have killed a third senior Iranian figure in 24 hours, stating that its forces had eliminated Tehran's intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, in an overnight strike. If confirmed, his death would follow those of Ali Larijani, the head of the supreme national security apparatus, and the commander of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani.
Nearly half of the world's traded urea—the most widely used fertiliser—and large volumes of other fertilisers are exported from Gulf countries via the Strait of Hormuz, making global agriculture highly exposed to any disruption there. Recent disruptions to gas supplies and shipping have already forced fertiliser plants, which use natural gas to manufacture fertiliser, in the Gulf and beyond to shut or cut their output.
Well, I know for a fact that he was aware of those potentials. I raised the option of regime change in Iran several times during the time I was national security advisor. I never persuaded the president to adopt that position. And one reason was that others had different views, and every time I raised it, they raised a whole long list of difficulties that are entailed by a regime change campaign and that if you're going to embark on it you better have answers to them and certainly closing the Strait of Hormuz was always one of them and so were attacks on the Gulf Arab states, particularly their oil infrastructure so he knew about it in his first term.
