Trump Warns Iran Of 'Very Hard Strikes', Says US May Escort Ships Through Strait Of Hormuz 'If Needed'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump said in an interview on Friday that Iran could face intensified attacks over the next week. "[The US is going to be hitting them [Iran] very hard over the next week," he told Fox News, as per Reuters.

"We're going to be hitting them very hard over the next week," he added in the interview with Fox's Brian Kilmeade that aired in part on its "Fox & Friends" program.

'US would escort ships in Strait of Hormuz if...'

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the United States would escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz if needed.

When asked about helping oil tankers pass through the key shipping strait, Trump was quoted as saying,“We would do it if we needed to. But, you know, hopefully things are going to go very well. We're going to see what happens.”

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He shared no other details.

His comments come as the United States and other countries face spiking oil and gas prices with the US-Israel war against Iran entering its 14th day.

Oil prices hit over $100 per barrel

With growing global concerns about a possible energy crisis and no end to the war in sight, the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, remained over $100 per barrel.

Brent prices spiked as high as about $120 per barrel and are about 40 per cent higher than when Israel and the United States launched the war on February 28.

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However, Reuters reported that oil prices dipped on Friday as an Indian tanker sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and the US put forth measures to try and ease supply concerns, but were on track for weekly gains as Gulf disruptions from the Middle East conflict broadly persisted.

Iran war nearing end?

While Trump reported said earlir this week that “Iran is about to surrender”, Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran would fight on, and keep the Strait of Hormuz shut as leverage against the United States and Israel.

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US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States stood to make significant money from oil prices, driven higher by the war with Iran. But stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons was far more important, he said.

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