Donald Trump ridiculed as ‘useless’ a planned British-led military taskforce to patrol the Strait of Hormuz.
As Iran declared the waterway ‘completely open’, Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday said they would send warships to keep it safe.
But while the US President welcomed Tehran’s announcement, he mocked Nato countries offering to send military assets.
He wrote: ‘Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!’
In a dramatic announcement on Friday, Iran’s foreign minister said ‘the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open’. This immediately caused oil to become 10 per cent cheaper – its lowest price in over a month – and stock markets to surge.
The shipping route, through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows, has been closed for weeks – worsening the cost-of-living crisis.
Tehran said its decision to ‘open’ the Strait was linked to a ceasefire announced in Lebanon, where Israel had been bombing Iran’s proxy terror group Hezbollah.
Mr Trump claimed Iran ‘has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again’, but said the US would continue its own naval blockade ‘until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 per cent complete.’
Donald Trump ridiculed as ‘useless’ a planned British-led military taskforce to patrol the Strait of Hormuz (Pictured: Mr Trump attended a roundtable event about no tax on tips on Thursday)
Malta-flagged Agios Fanouris I arrives in Iraq on Friday after sailing through the Strait of Hormuz
He added this would happen ‘pretty soon’ as ‘the war in Iran is going along swimmingly’. But sources in Tehran warned it would be a dealbreaker if the US continued to block marine traffic.
It came as 49 leaders held a summit in Paris to discuss how to re-open the strait.
Sir Keir said after the talks that Britain and France would lead a mission to protect ships navigating the strait ‘as soon as conditions allow’.
He added: ‘The world needs the Strait of Hormuz fully opened, because that is how we keep prices down and stop the economic damage.
‘The UK will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation. It will be strictly peaceful and defensive.’ Planners will meet in London next week, with more than a dozen countries set to contribute assets.
There are concerns about the mission, however, after it took HMS Dragon weeks to reach Cyprus to defend an RAF base on the island – before embarrassingly being pulled in for repairs.
And despite the latest promises, it remained unclear if and when maritime traffic would restart amid huge concerns for the safety of ships.
Iran is said to have laid underwater mines across the waterway, which Mr Trump has said are being ‘removed’.
There are concerns about the mission after it took HMS Dragon (pictured on March 10) weeks to reach Cyprus to defend an RAF base on the island – before being pulled in for repairs
Richard Meade, editor of shipping journal Lloyd’s List, said: ‘There are a few question marks. Everybody is currently looking at each other and asking the same question, ‘What does this mean?’
One tanker operator told the BBC Iran’s statement ‘doesn’t change anything’.
There was also no word whether Tehran would accept the taskforce.
As the US-Iran ceasefire continued to hold, Washington officials said they were negotiating a three-page plan to end the war.
This could involve Iranians surrendering their enriched uranium in exchange for $20billion of funds being unfrozen, it was reported.
But Mr Trump has claimed that ‘no money will exchange hands in any way’.
