War’s Economic Gravity Pulls More Nations Into the Iran Crisis

The economic gravity of the Iran-US conflict was pulling more nations into its orbit on Saturday whether they wanted to be there or not. President Trump called publicly on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, framing what had been an American-led military campaign as a collective economic emergency that demanded a collective response. The appeal was the first public acknowledgment that the US might not be able to reopen the waterway unilaterally, and it placed the burden of decision on allied governments that had been watching the conflict from the sidelines.
The economic stakes were enormous. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20 percent of global daily oil and gas. Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude export hub, was being bombed by US warplanes for the second consecutive day. Fujairah, a critical ship-refuelling port in the UAE, had been struck by Iranian ballistic missiles, forcing a suspension of loading operations. Oil prices were near $120 per barrel and analysts warned of a surge to $150 if the conflict continued destroying Gulf energy infrastructure. Nations from Asia to Europe that depended on Gulf energy were facing the prospect of severe supply disruption.
Iran appeared unmoved by the economic and military pressure being applied against it. Its forces continued to hit the UAE, threaten Gulf energy facilities, fire rockets at Israel, and maintain the Hormuz closure. Iranian commanders warned civilians near UAE ports and US installations to evacuate. The foreign minister called on Arab states to expel US forces. Iran’s strategy, the International Crisis Group explained, was to inflict economic pain broadly while keeping the regime intact and waiting for better negotiating terms.
US warplanes struck Kharg Island again on Saturday, and Trump said in public remarks the island had been effectively demolished. Israel conducted dozens of airstrikes inside Iran, killing at least 15 people in Isfahan. Iran fired rockets at Israel in return. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Iran’s leadership was “desperate and hiding” and wounded. Iranian officials confirmed the injury but disputed its severity. The USS Tripoli and 2,500 additional marines were heading to the region to bolster US military options.
The human toll of the conflict was staggering. More than 1,400 Iranians had been killed in sustained bombing. Thirteen Israelis and roughly 20 Gulf residents had died. Lebanon’s crisis continued, with 800 killed and 850,000 displaced from Israeli strikes on Hezbollah. Six US troops died in an aircraft crash in Iraq. The US embassy in Baghdad was struck, and Americans in Iraq were ordered to leave. As the conflict’s economic gravity pulled more nations into its orbit, the prospects for a swift diplomatic resolution remained elusive.