Trump Vows Navy Protection for Gulf Ships as Iran Blocks Key Oil Route

President Trump announced Tuesday that U.S. naval forces will safeguard commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and provide government insurance for maritime trade. The move comes as Iran has declared the critical Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping, driving oil prices higher and threatening global energy supplies.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that American naval forces will safeguard commercial vessels traveling through Middle Eastern waters when needed, while his administration will provide government insurance coverage to protect ocean trade amid rising tensions with Iran that are shaking worldwide energy markets.

Trump took to social media to declare that Washington would supply “at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf.” The president emphasized that this initiative “will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”

The president’s declaration follows a spike in petroleum and natural gas costs as worries mount over vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway separating Oman from Iran that serves as a lifeline for global supplies. Energy intelligence company Kpler reports that approximately 13 million oil barrels pass through this route daily in 2025, accounting for roughly 31% of worldwide seaborne petroleum deliveries.

Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 2.6% to approximately $80 per barrel and has climbed nearly 10% since hostilities started. Market experts caution that extended disruptions could push costs beyond $100 per barrel.

Iranian officials have announced the waterway’s closure, calling it payback for combined American-Israeli military actions after nuclear talks fell apart. Ebrahim Jabbari, a top advisor to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander-in-chief, stated Monday: “The Strait [of Hormuz] is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Saturday that they had blocked the passage. “The ATHE NOVA tanker, one of the American allies in the Strait of Hormuz, is still on fire after being hit by two drones,” the Guards declared in their statement.

The growing hostile language and military strikes have heightened worries about supply shortfalls and additional instability in international energy markets.