President Donald Trump is seeking to organize a multinational coalition to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with plans to potentially unveil the effort later this week, according to four sources who spoke with Axios on Sunday.

At the same time, U.S. officials say the administration is examining the possibility of taking control of Iran’s major oil terminal on Kharg Island if tankers continue to be unable to leave the Persian Gulf. Any attempt to seize the facility would likely require deploying American forces on the ground.

The discussions come as global energy prices climb following Iran’s blockade of the strategically vital waterway. The closure has interrupted the flow of a substantial share of the world’s crude oil shipments.

Tehran has prevented Gulf states from exporting their oil through the strait while permitting vessels carrying Iranian crude to pass, allowing the regime to continue selling oil to China and other buyers.

One individual familiar with the situation told Axios that if the blockade persists and Gulf oil exports remain constrained, Trump would not be in a position to end the conflict even if he wanted to.

While speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he expects NATO countries and other major energy-importing nations — including China — to take part in securing the waterway.

“We are talking to other countries about policing the straits. It will be nice to have other countries policing with us. We will help. We are getting a good response,” Trump said.

Trump indicated that negotiations are underway with seven different countries regarding participation. He acknowledged that some governments have already declined but said the operation would still be limited in scale because Iran has “very little firepower” left.

At the same time, U.S. forces have continued striking Iranian targets across the country, concentrating in particular on locations near the Persian Gulf and around Kharg Island.

Kharg Island sits roughly 15 miles off Iran’s coastline and serves as the hub for about 90 percent of the country’s crude oil exports.

Trump said on Friday that he had directed attacks against military facilities on the island but had intentionally avoided hitting its oil infrastructure. In comments to NBC on Saturday, he remarked that the U.S. “may hit it a few more times just for fun.”

A senior White House official cautioned that no determination has been made about further action involving the island.

“No one should read into anything more than what the president announced,” the official said. “The president has made no decisions on Kharg Island.”

Still, the official noted that circumstances could shift if diplomatic and military efforts to reopen the strait fail.

“The president is not going to wait around and let the Iranians dictate the pace of the conflict,” the official said.

Another U.S. official said Trump has expressed interest in the possibility of seizing Kharg Island itself, characterizing the move as an “economic knockout of the regime” that could severely undermine Tehran’s financial lifeline.

{Matzav.com}