Donald Trump has launched another scathing attack on the UK over the Iran war, telling Britain it should buy its jet fuel from the US because of the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz or “go get your own oil”.
In a fresh tirade against the UK and other countries over a refusal to join the US-Israeli offensive, the US President also warned allies to “start learning how to fight for yourself” because America “won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us.”
"Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!", he wrote on his Truth Social social media platform.
His response comes after Sir Keir Starmer yesterday repeated his pledge to not involve the UK in a potential ground invasion of Iran.
The comments also came in the wake of reports in the Wall Street Journal that he would be willing to end the US military campaign even if Iran maintains its stranglehold over the strait, a vital shipping route for global oil and gas supplies.
Iran's selective blockade of the maritime chokepoint and its attacks on the Gulf states have pushed up global energy prices.
Rising oil and gas prices continuing to hit UK consumers. Sir Keir Starmer will chair a meeting of the Cobra crisis committee to consider the impact on households and the wider economy from soaring energy costs.
President Trump wrote: “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil! President DJT.”
Sir Keir Starmer said ministers will look at "making sure that everything that we need to have in place" to respond to the looming economic crisis sparked by the Iran war is set up.
Average energy bills are forecast to rise by £288 from July as soaring wholesale costs caused by conflict in the Middle East are set to push up Ofgem's price cap.
Cornwall Insight said its prediction for the watchdog's price cap from July to September now stands at £1,929 for a typical dual fuel household - an increase of £288 or 18 per cent on April's cap.
Motorists are already counting the cost of the war, with drivers paying £544 million extra for fuel since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began.
In the latest sign of the risk to shipping in the region a Kuwaiti oil tanker a loaded Kuwaiti crude oil tanker was struck in an Iranian attack while anchored off Dubai, officials said, with the warning of a potential environmental catastrophe.
Authorities said the vessel sustained hull damage after being hit, sparking a fire and raising concerns over a potential oil spill.
Emergency crews have since brought the blaze under control and are assessing the extent of the damage.
The incident marks the latest escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
The Kuwaiti Petroleum Company said the tanker, Al Salmi, was fully loaded.
The vessel is huge, with a capacity of two billion barrels, so if an oil spill did occur the environmental impact would be catastrophic.
However, in an update on Tuesday morning, the Dubai media office confirmed there had been no leakage from the Kuwaiti crude oil tanker.
“Dubai authorities confirm that response teams have successfully contained the incident involving the Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai waters, with no oil leakage and no injuries reported,” it said on X.
President Trump posted a video on Truth Social showing a large explosion in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the post included no caption, and it remains unconfirmed whether the footage depicts the fire onboard the Kuwaiti oil tanker.
No injuries were reported in the blaze and all 24 crew members are safe, authorities confirmed.
Brent crude futures were up over 2% at $115.17 per barrel in early Asian hours after the news of the attack on the tanker in Dubai, but retreated a bit after the Wall Street Journal repor that Trump is willing to end the war even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Brent is on course for a 59% surge in March, its largest monthly gain on record due to the war in the Middle East.
Earlier on Monday, a Greek-owned container ship located off the coast of Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura reported two separate incidents where projectiles hit water near the vessel, maritime security experts said.
A representative from the Liberian-flagged Express Rome reported two unknown projectiles splashing into the water near the container ship approximately 22 nautical miles (40.7 km) northeast of Ras Tanura at 1352 GMT. The incidents occurred within one hour of each other and the crew was reported safe, British maritime risk-management group Vanguard said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps previously claimed to have attacked the Express Rome on March 11, Vanguard said.
The operator of Express Rome did not immediately comment.
No group has claimed responsibility for the strike on the oil tanker or the projectiles.
