World

The Latest: Trump calls for help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

By Associated Press

A cargo ship sails in the Arabian Gulf towards Strait of Hormuz in United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

NEW YORK, MARCH 16 U.S. President Donald Trump said he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open as Iranian strikes kept slamming into Gulf countries Monday. Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest, gradually restarted operations after a drone struck a fuel tank and started a fire. Authorities said it was quickly contained and no injuries were reported. Tehran has accused the United States without evidence of using 'ports, docks and hideouts' in the United Arab Emirates to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran's oil exports evidence, as oil prices soared. Brent crude oil was trading near $105 per barrel on Monday. Trump said the U.S. is negotiating with countries heavily reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the waterway where about one-fifth the world's traded oil normally flows, but declined to name them. Israeli strikes have deepened Lebanon's humanitarian crisis, with more than 850 people killed and over 850,000 displaced. Here is the latest: The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli strikes increases to 886 That's up from 850 killed as of Sunday, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. On Monday, the ministry said the death toll includes at least 111 children and 67 women. The number of wounded has climbed to 2,141 people, including 332 children and 362 women. The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2. Israel says it is striking Hezbollah militants and infrastructure. The Israeli strikes have mostly been in southern and eastern Lebanon as well as parts of Beirut, and have targeted buildings, vehicles and even tents for internally displaced people. More than 800,000 people - nearly one out of every seven residents of Lebanon - have been displaced after Israel ordered people to evacuate large swathes of the country. Israeli ambassador doesn't rule out sending navy to police Strait of Hormuz but says it should be a global effort A day after Trump demanded other countries to join a coalition to police the Strait of Hormuz, Israel's envoy to the U.N. tried to make the case that the burden shouldn't be just on America's closest ally in the region. 'We understand the need to support the effort of the U.S. and it should be a global effort,' Danny Danon said. 'You look at Israel, a tiny country and you know Iran is I think 80 times bigger than Israel and we take a lot of the burden for the world.' Israeli ambassador says 'a few players' are trying to mediate talks with Lebanon Israel's U.N. ambassador Danny Danon told reporters Monday that a few countries are trying to mediate and host talks between Israel and Lebanon but that his country is determined to 'degrade' Hezbollah's capabilities before any negotiations can take place. 'Our message to the Lebanese government is simple: step up. Step in,' Danon said. 'Since the ceasefire in November 2024, the Lebanese government has not done what it needed to do to dismantle Hezbollah.' He added, 'Lebanon must restrain Hezbollah now, or we will.'