【By Observer Net, Ruan Jiaqi】

This Thursday (12th), Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei delivered his first speech after taking office, calling for national unity and emphasizing that Iran will continue to block the Strait of Hormuz to pressure its adversaries. He also vowed to avenge the victims, threatening to "claim compensation" from the United States and Israel, and urging regional neighbors to close all U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

Just 24 hours earlier, U.S. President Trump was still boasting during a G7 call, claiming Iran was "about to surrender."

According to the American Axios news website, on Wednesday morning local time, Trump loudly promoted the "epic fury operation" during the G7 phone call. Sources revealed that, just like his public statements, Trump told other leaders during the call, "I removed a tumor that threatened us all."

While claiming that Iran was "about to surrender," Trump also contradicted himself by suggesting that no officials were alive in Tehran who could make a surrender decision. He said, "No one knows who the leader is, so no one can declare surrender."

The report pointed out that this call took place as G7 leaders were deeply anxious about the economic impact of the war spilling over, and they clearly had no interest in Trump's self-congratulation. Multiple officials revealed that all other leaders at the meeting urged Trump to end the war as soon as possible and emphasized the need to immediately secure the Strait of Hormuz.

A official familiar with the call said that Trump claimed the situation in the strait was improving, and merchant ships should resume operations in the area. However, that night, at least two oil tankers were attacked and caught fire near the coast of Iraq.

On March 12 local time, foreign oil tankers caught fire and were damaged near the sea off Basra, Iraq. Oriental IC

Facing allies' doubts, Trump remained vague on the war objectives and timelines, refusing to make any commitments. He said he was weighing the "timing" issue, without giving a deadline, but emphasized, "We must complete the mission" to avoid another war with Iran in five years.

However, the report points out that the reality is that the Iranian regime shows no signs of surrender or collapse. On the 14th day of the war, Iran continues to gain negotiation leverage by blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

According to details disclosed by U.S. media, what made G7 allies uneasy went far beyond this. Two officials said German Chancellor Merkel, British Prime Minister Starmer, and French President Macron urged Trump not to let Moscow take advantage of the war or get sanctions relief during the call.

Hours later, Russian President's special envoy Dmitriyev was already in Florida, discussing global energy crisis with Trump's advisors Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The next day, despite the opposition of these three countries, the U.S. Treasury directly announced a one-month sanction exemption for Russian oil.

Trump also specifically mocked Starmer during the meeting. He was still upset about Britain's initial refusal to allow U.S. use of its military bases for strikes.

It wasn't until Iran's counterattack affected Gulf countries that Starmer finally agreed to allow the U.S. to conduct "defensive strikes" using its bases. But Trump said in the call, "You should have brought it up before the war, now it's too late."

Amidst the Western allies' turmoil, America's Asian allies were also restless. According to the American "Politico" news site, on the 11th, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and others repeatedly asked Washington about the goals and duration of the action, but Trump's contradictory statements made it difficult for countries to predict the conflict's direction and develop response plans.

What particularly worried these Asian allies was that their efforts to seek guidance and assistance from the Trump administration had largely gone unanswered. A Asian diplomat stationed in Washington bluntly said, "We have received no communication from the Trump administration." When asked what actions the U.S. should take, he replied succinctly, "Ideally, it would be to end this conflict."

Another Asian official said that even if the war is not short-term, the U.S. government could still work with multiple countries to provide insurance for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, easing pressure on the energy market. But the Trump administration has yet to send any such signal.

According to a summary by Qatar Al Jazeera on the 12th, Vietnam's oil reserves are only enough for about 20 days, Indonesia about 21 to 23 days, Thailand about 65 days, and the Philippines about 50 to 60 days, with most held by private companies; South Korea and Japan have relatively sufficient reserves, reaching 208 days and 254 days respectively.

Scott Masher, Chief Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs during the Obama administration, pointed out that embassies of various countries in the U.S. urgently need and expect information from the U.S., including what actions the U.S. will take, whether the crisis is only short-term, and what kind of help Washington will provide.

"Not doing so will only make regional countries feel more strongly that the U.S. government is not really making an effort to be a reliable partner," he said.

Next week, Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Haruna will visit the U.S. and meet with Trump, expected to focus on Japan's and Asian countries' concerns about energy security.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Ram Emanuel, said, "The president took action against Iran without consulting allies, yet made them bear the consequences. At next week's meeting, he obviously needs to realize the cost Japan will pay."

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7616749050095845951/

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