United States President Donald Trump on Friday said America could "easily open Hormuz Strait" and "take the oil" if given a little more time in the ongoing war against Iran.
Trump's remark is concurrent to Washington's repeated claims that talks with Tehran have been "progressing well", though the Islamic regime, currently without the leadership, has outrightly quashed the Trump's claim.
"With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A FORTUNE," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social, in what appeared to be a statement aimed at cajoling his MAGA base amid growing uncertainty over the direction of the battle in Tehran.
Trump's fresh assertion on Hormuz, a key chokepoint in the global oil supply route, comes a day after he appeared disgruntled that Western allies, particularly Nato, refused to shoulder their share in the war, which is nearing its fifth week after a joint US-Israeli aerial assault.
The widening war and wobbly financial markets have increased pressure on Trump to find a quick resolution to the conflict.
Meanwhile, Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries about a fifth of the world's total oil consumption, in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that began in late February.
Reopening it has become a priority for governments around the world as energy prices soar.
In a speech on Wednesday night, Trump repeated his threats against Iran's civilian power plants and gave no clear timeline for ending hostilities, drawing vows of retaliation from Iran and depressing share prices.
Adding to the tensions, Iran on Friday allowed a French-owned container ship to cross the Strait of Hormuz, in an apparent sign that it may no longer view France as a hostile nation after President Emmanuel Macron criticised Trump's stance on the conflict.
The Malta-flagged Kribi, owned by French shipping group CMA CGM, crossed the strategic waterway on April 2, according to MarineTraffic vessel tracking data. It is the first French-owned vessel to make the passage since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began at the end of February.
