April 1, 2026

Trump: Those who need oil should go to Hormuz themselves and get it

After new warnings from the head of the White House that if they do not open the Strait of Hormuz and agree to a deal, they will attack Iran's energy facilities, the response from Tehran came in the form of an attack on a huge oil tanker near Dubai. Dubai authorities announced that the fire on the ship "El Salmi", sailing under the Kuwaiti flag, was brought under control after a drone attack, without oil leaks or injuries among the crew. This Iranian attack was the latest in a series of attacks on merchant ships in the strait, a vital waterway for oil transport, since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. "El Salmi" may not have been the target because the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that it targeted a container ship in the Gulf due to its ties to Israel. But according to shipping data, they seem to have meant the ship "Haiphong Express" under the Singapore flag, which was anchored next to "El Salmi".