Trump Mulls Iran War Exit As Tanker Strike Near Dubai Raises Stakes (Worthy News Briefing)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump made clear Tuesday that he is considering an exit from the Iran War even without first reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The development came as Iran struck a fully laden Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai, underscoring the broader regional dangers of a military conflict that is increasingly threatening global energy supplies and economic stability.

Despite the uncertainty, U.S. markets appeared to welcome Trump’s remarks, with major stock indexes rising more than 1 percent in early trading, Worthy News monitored.

The rebound was striking and may prove short-lived, as Trump also warned that other nations should wrest control of the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass, while Iran kept up missile fire across the Persian Gulf.

Countries unable to secure energy because of the effective closure of the strait should “go to the Strait and just TAKE IT,” Trump said in a social-media message Tuesday.

“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself” because the United States “won’t be there too much longer,” he added, in the clearest sign yet that he may be seeking to disengage from a war that has already pushed up oil and gas prices and renewed fears of a global economic shock.

Trump later told U.S. media the United States was “not going to be there too much longer,” while again describing the campaign against Iran as “an obliteration.”

ENERGY AND MARKET SHOCK

The comments followed reports that Trump had told aides he was open to ending the campaign even if Hormuz remains largely closed, suggesting Washington may prefer diplomatic pressure over a prolonged military effort to force the route open.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom the White House now refers to as the Secretary of War, said talks with Iran were “real” and “gaining strength,” but warned that strikes would intensify if no deal was reached.

Yet the risks remained evident. Iranian fire hit the Kuwaiti tanker Al-Salmi in Dubai’s anchorage zone, though authorities said the situation was contained and there were no immediate reports of injuries or an oil spill.

Iran also fired missile salvos at Israel on Tuesday, wounding several people, while U.S.-Israeli strikes reportedly continued inside Iran.

With clashes ongoing, the war’s economic toll is deepening. U.S. gasoline prices rose above $4 a gallon for the first time since August 2022, while European gas prices, jet fuel markets, and global shipping costs all remained under pressure.

Analysts warned that oil could rise much further if Hormuz stays effectively shut, with some forecasts suggesting crude could spike to between $150 and $200 a barrel in the coming weeks.

GLOBAL FALLOUT GROWS

European officials also voiced concern over the long-term damage, with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde reportedly challenging more optimistic U.S. assessments during Group of Seven discussions.

The European Union’s energy commissioner said the war had already added billions of euros to the bloc’s fossil-fuel import bill.

Beyond the West, the fallout has spread across Africa and Asia.

Several African nations have reported fuel shortages or surging costs, while China acknowledged that some of its vessels had transited Hormuz with outside coordination.

Pakistan also said it was weighing options to secure additional shipping access through the strait.

Despite the mounting crisis, some European governments appear reluctant to support Washington militarily, with reports that Spain closed its airspace to U.S. war-related flights and Italy denied a U.S. military aircraft permission to land at a base in Sicily.

BROADENING BATTLES

The tensions come as the Iran War has also broadened geographically. Israel said it was continuing operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, while regional fears mounted that Yemen’s Iran-supported Houthis could step up attacks on Red Sea shipping if the war escalates further.

For now, traders, governments, shipowners and ordinary people globally remain focused on one question: whether the conflict can be wound down before the closure of Hormuz, already crippling commercial transit, triggers an even wider energy and economic crisis that could lead to more social unrest.

As many as 3,000 people have been killed across the region since the war began on February 28, according to several estimates.

Among the dead are also at least 13 U.S. service members, while Israel has reported nearly two dozen fatalities and thousands injured, mostly civilians.

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