Donald Trump ‘very surprised’ Australia declined to send troops to strait of Hormuz amid fuel crisis

Trump hints at wind-down of war as US sends more troops and Iran threatens tourism sites - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxQRklDb21aS2RrMFpsVlhtU3AtT0JOc0p3NGxhb3RIM0gxVWlNV1RMd09vcl9LTEFJRzRNNjY4VjB6MFlQVGNEdDRXbEdlVGljNXZXczZNZEZxLUY5UW9tcURKX3NGdkR0dXBpNmM1WmhoaEV3NjJZTlVxZk9tWUd3YUdteFljT2FHV0IzdFlIcW50Y1NyTk1VNGdUeXlyZkdmcTJkQQ?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump hints at wind-down of war as US sends more troops and Iran threatens tourism sites</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

Trump mulls risky Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to open strait

<p>The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/19/strait-hormuz-coalition-allies-statement-uk" target="_blank">Strait of Hormuz</a>, four sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> President Trump can't end the war, at least on his terms, until he breaks <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/13/iran-war-mines-strait-of-hormuz" target="_blank">Iran's chokehold</a> on shipping through the strait. In the meantime, global <a href="https://www.axios.com/energy-climate/oil-companies" target="_blank">energy</a> prices are surging.</p><hr><ul><li>But an operation to take over Kharg Island, which sits 15 miles offshore and processes 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, could put U.S. troops more directly in the line of fire.</li><li>Thus, such an operation would only be launched after the U.S. military further degrades Iran's military capa...

Trump news at a glance: president claims ignorance of Israel’s plan to strike Iranian gasfield, exposing rift

<p>Trump claimed on Truth Social that he had known nothing about the targeting of Iran’s gas reserves in advance – key US politics stories from 19 March 2026 at a glance</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-israel-war-on-iran">US-Israeli war</a> against Iran has exposed further divisions between the two countries after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/18/iran-intelligence-minister-esmail-khatib-killed-israel-claims">an Israeli strike on Iran’s largest gasfield angered US allies in the Gulf</a> and prompted Donald Trump to say he knew nothing in advance about the attack – a claim that Israeli officials disputed.</p><p>Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he had spoken to Benjamin Netanyahu following the strikes on Iran’s South Pars gasfield – part of a reserve shared with Qatar – and had told the Israeli prime minister to refrain from further attacks that could escalate a regional war on energy infrastructure.</p> <a href="https://...

Trump Says He Won’t Send Troops to Iran but Leaves Wiggle Room - The New York Times

Trump says US is not putting troops in Middle East region - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxPOWw0U1RtM1dNV0g5NXU1NWhIeFVKSXcwWlFCckNHRjUxX2M1TXllUWw4VVppd0xoNHdxb1NVb0NKRWJlWUtDRVRGYXFJbV9QNUlOOEEtOWFPV1NVNGVHc0Zub1FUNkUwcXo1RjRCTDJFWVdqX3VMaUxjU2xtTkV1NjROVnJFcmNVdXlvZFNDd3RabkZfd1NBZUowTjJpY01OdGtSM1JqbTFPWFE?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump says US is not putting troops in Middle East region</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

Answering Trump's call for help in Middle East 'political suicide' for allies

President Donald Trump urged NATO partners and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz as it remains closed due to the ongoing war in the Middle East triggered by the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry looks at why Trump's plan could be easier said than done.