President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (March 3, 2026) the U.S. Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through a crucial Gulf shipping route, as he justified his war on Iran by saying he believed Tehran was about to strike first.
Mr. Trump has given often conflicting explanations for the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, while the President who once campaigned to end to America's West Asian wars has set out no firm endgame.
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The attacks and Iran's fiery response have engulfed the West Asia -- while also causing global economic turmoil as shipping avoids the Strait of Hormuz near Iran, one of the world's most vital shipping lanes.
Mr. Trump, whose own boasts of economic revival are now also under threat ahead of midterm elections later this year, moved to calm the jitters by saying U.S. warships could help.
