Novara Live Trump Begs for Help to Re-open Strait of Hormuz
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Mar 16, 2026 Anel Shaleen, a Quincy Institute research fellow and former State Department official who resigned over Gaza policy, joins to unpack the Iran conflict. She discusses US unpreparedness and drone warfare. Conversations cover why Gulf states resist escalation, the impracticality of reopening the Strait of Hormuz by force, and shifting regional and global power dynamics.
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Trump Publicly Begs Allies To Reopen Hormuz
- Donald Trump publicly demanded allied naval support to reopen the strait while claiming Iran's military was "100%" destroyed.
- He urged China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to send ships, framing the closure as "artificial constraint."
Allies Decline Military Role And Prepare Economic Measures
- Major US partners (Germany, France, Japan, UK) refused immediate military action in the strait; Keir Starmer emphasised protecting people while avoiding wider war.
- The UK prepared economic mitigation like energy price caps and targeted support for heating oil households.
Karg Island Attack Threatens Iran Oil Choke Point
- The US bombed Karg Island—critical because ~90% of Iran's oil exports pass through its terminal—but Trump said infrastructure was left standing as a threat.
- Trump threatened further strikes on the island's oil pipes, saying they could be hit "on five minutes notice."