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By Alexander Cornwell and Jonathan Landay March 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump accused some Western allies of ingratitude after several countries rebuffed his demand to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran continued to target oil facilities in the Gulf. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in sight. The critical Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flow, remains largely closed off, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.

Strait of Hormuz: Trump needs a coalition. Here’s how to build one  CNN

Iran war live: Trump scolds allies for not joining Strait of Hormuz mission  Al Jazeera

US‑Israel war with Iran, Day 18: Trump pressures allies to help open Strait of Hormuz; UAE briefly closes airspace  Gulf News

Cuba’s national power grid has collapsed amid an ongoing US-imposed oil blockade, causing blackouts across the country.

Will the strait of Hormuz torpedo Trump’s war? – Full Story podcast  The Guardian

This blog is closed Continued from previous post: Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has said she has no immediate plans to send her country’s maritime self-defence forces to help protect tanker traffic in the strait of Homuz. We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done ⁠within the legal framework. I would like to ⁠engage in solid discussions based on Japan’s views and position regarding the need for early de-escalation. Continue reading...

Events in the narrow waterway are causing chaos around the globe. Jillian Ambrose explains why The strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water at the mouth of the Gulf, is the world’s petrol pump, a geographical bottleneck through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows. Since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, however, Tehran has threatened to close the strait and cause mayhem. “They’ve not formally, officially shut it down, but they have said that they will set ablaze any tanker that tries to move through. For any shipping owner, for any insurer, that is as good as closed,” explains the Guardian’s energy correspondent, Jillian Ambrose. Continue reading...

US‑Israel war with Iran Day 17: Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz, UAE reopens airspace after brief closure  Gulf News

The Latest: Trump seeks help opening the Strait of Hormuz as Iran war chokes oil shipping  Union-Bulletin

UAE briefly closes airspace as West Asia conflict escalates  The Hindu

Trump faces challenge reopening Strait of Hormuz as Iran disrupts global energy routes  ynetnews

President Donald Trump spent his first year back in power disparaging US allies. Now he wants them to help America in the Iran war -- and they are none too enthusiastic. From tariffs to insults and threatening to invade Greenland, Trump has rarely missed an opportunity in recent months to criticize America's partners. Yet now the 79-year-old Republican has said he expects the same allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic and reacted angrily when they rebuffed him.

Fire erupts at UAE's Fujairah oil zone after drone strike A fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the United Arab Emirates after the site was targeted by drones, according to the Fujairah government’s media office. Officials said there were no casualties from the attack and emergency crews responded to the scene to contain the blaze at the facility, located about 150 kilometres east of Dubai.

Andreas Krieg says that US plans to deploy 2,500 marines to the Gulf is unlikely to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

March 17 (Reuters) - Air traffic in the United Arab Emirates returned to normal after temporary precautionary measures were lifted, state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday, citing the country's General Civil Aviation Authority. Earlier on Tuesday, the authority announced a temporary closure of the country's airspace amid rapidly evolving regional security developments, after the defence ministry said it was responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran. (Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war on Monday: - Stocks rise as oil prices cool - Global markets mostly rose as oil prices pulled back, with investors focused on the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf waterway through which a fifth of global crude oil passes, where traffic has been severely disrupted by the war. International benchmark Brent North Sea crude dropped 2.8 percent to $100.21, while the main US contract West Texas Intermediate fell 5.3 percent to $93.50. - Drone strike sparks UAE oil field fire -

CNBC Daily Open: Trump seeks support on Hormuz as he sets sights on Cuba  CNBC

Iran strikes Persian Gulf neighbors as Trump seeks more help with Strait of Hormuz  CNN

Oil jumps over 2% as doubts linger over U.S.-backed plan to protect Strait of Hormuz shipping  CNBC