In an interview published Sunday by the Financial Times, Trump said the timing of the meeting could shift depending on progress in restoring navigation through the key oil transit route.

“We’d like to know before (the summit),” Trump said, adding that “we may delay,” without specifying how long a postponement might last.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects Gulf energy producers to global markets, has come under heightened strain during the conflict with Iran, raising concerns about disruptions to international oil shipments.

Washington has sought diplomatic and security cooperation from major powers to ensure the passage remains open as tensions across the Middle East escalate.

Trump’s remarks suggest the United States is looking to China to play a role in stabilizing the situation. Beijing maintains significant economic ties with Iran and is a major importer of Gulf energy supplies that pass through the strait.

The proposed summit in Beijing had been expected to focus on trade and geopolitical issues between the two powers, but Trump indicated that progress on the maritime corridor could influence whether the meeting proceeds on schedule.

Trump said U.S. strikes had already “totally demolished” much of the island’s infrastructure and signaled the possibility of additional attacks, telling NBC News on Saturday that Washington could “hit it a few more times just for fun.”

The remarks marked a sharp escalation from earlier statements by the administration that had framed operations as limited to military facilities on the island.

Kharg Island is Iran’s primary oil export terminal and a critical node in global energy markets. Any prolonged disruption to its facilities risks tightening global crude supply at a time when energy prices are already climbing sharply due to the conflict.

The fighting has heightened concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Tehran has long maintained the capability to disrupt shipping in the waterway, a scenario that analysts say could amplify volatility in global energy markets.

Trump called on countries that rely on oil shipments through the strait to take a more active role in securing it. In a social media post on Saturday, he said nations receiving oil through the passage “must take care of that passage,” adding that the United States would coordinate with them to ensure maritime transit remained secure.

The push for allied naval deployments comes as oil markets face what industry observers have described as the largest disruption to global supply flows in modern history, according to recent market assessments cited by Reuters.

The war launched on Feb. 28 by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expanded beyond direct strikes on Iranian targets. Missile and drone attacks continued across the region on Sunday, underscoring the conflict’s widening geographic scope.

Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 10 drones over Riyadh and eastern regions of the kingdom, according to the Saudi defense ministry. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied involvement in the attacks, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

A separate drone strike disrupted a major energy hub in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, while Washington advised American citizens to leave Iraq amid rising security risks.

Despite signs that Tehran may be open to negotiations, prospects for a diplomatic resolution remain uncertain. Trump said Iran appeared willing to consider a deal to end the conflict but added that “the terms aren’t good enough yet.

”At the same time, three sources told Reuters that the U.S. administration had rejected attempts by Middle Eastern allies to initiate talks, a move that has complicated diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting.

More than 2,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, most of them in Iran, according to figures reported by governments and state media. In one of the latest incidents, an airstrike struck a refrigerator and heater factory in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, killing at least 15 people, the Fars news agency reported.

The assurance was conveyed after recent conversations between S. Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi, according to the Indian source, who declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, depends on the Strait of Hormuz for roughly 40% of its crude imports, making the security of shipping routes a key concern amid regional tensions.

India’s foreign ministry confirmed that the two foreign ministers had held three conversations in recent days. The most recent discussion focused on maritime safety and the protection of India’s energy supply lines.

“Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly press briefing.

In a statement following the talks, Iran’s foreign ministry said the United States should be held responsible for the “insecure situation and problems arising for shipping in the Persian Gulf,” but neither side publicly mentioned any agreement on safe passage for Indian vessels.

On Thursday the Suezmax tanker Shenlong, carrying Saudi crude oil, arrived at a port in Mumbai after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group.

The Liberia-flagged vessel was the first crude tanker to reach India from the Middle East since fighting involving Iran, the United States and Israel erupted in late February. The cargo was purchased by state-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The Indian source added that two other foreign-flagged tankers believed to be carrying oil bound for India had also recently crossed the strait.

India said on Wednesday that 28 Indian-flagged vessels were operating west and east of the Strait of Hormuz, carrying a total of 778 Indian sailors.

Authorities, shipping companies and recruitment agencies are coordinating with Indian embassies and local authorities to ensure the safety of seafarers, the petroleum ministry said.

India has also given safe harbour to 183 Iranian sailors after a vessel docked in the country following the outbreak of the conflict. New Delhi had allowed three Iranian ships returning from a naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal to dock; one of the vessels was later sunk by a U.S. submarine in international waters, while another sought assistance from Sri Lanka.

The ministry said it had summoned Iran’s ambassador in Bangkok to seek clarification on the circumstances surrounding the incident and to obtain details about the attack on the vessel.

In a statement, the Thai Foreign Ministry said it was requesting a formal explanation from Iranian authorities and pressing for an apology over the damage inflicted on the ship.

Officials said the projectile strike triggered a blaze on board, prompting the crew to evacuate the vessel for safety.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement carried by the Tasnim News Agency that the vessel had been “fired upon by Iranian fighters,” according to the report.

The statement did not provide further details about the circumstances that led to the strike.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints for energy shipments, has come under heightened scrutiny amid rising tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran and its regional adversaries.

The incident involving the Thai vessel adds to growing concerns about risks to commercial shipping passing through the narrow waterway.

The attacks followed nearly two weeks of conflict triggered by joint U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran, a war that has killed around 2,000 people and sent shockwaves through global energy and shipping markets. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said more than 1,100 children were among those killed or injured in the fighting.

Maritime security sources and port officials said explosive-laden Iranian boats appeared to have struck two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, igniting fires and killing one crew member. Projectiles also hit three merchant vessels in Gulf waters, according to maritime risk monitoring firms tracking the incidents.

Oil prices rose nearly 5% on Wednesday and extended gains in Asian trading on Thursday as traders assessed the risk of prolonged supply disruptions in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

Crude had surged to nearly $120 a barrel earlier in the week before easing to around $90, but renewed attacks on shipping raised fears of further volatility. Global equities also reacted to the tension, with Wall Street’s main indexes falling and Asian stocks following the downward trend.

Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG, said the tanker attacks appeared to coincide with efforts by energy authorities to stabilize markets.“This appears to mark a direct and forceful Iranian response to the IEA’s overnight announcement of a massive strategic reserve release aimed at cooling runaway prices,” Sycamore said.

Iran signaled it intends to inflict sustained economic pressure as the conflict spreads across the Middle East. A spokesperson for Iran’s military command warned the United States that oil prices could soar dramatically.

“Get ready for oil to be $200 a barrel, because the oil price depends on regional security, which you have destabilised,” the spokesperson said in remarks reported on Wednesday.

The war has already prompted governments to prepare what could become the largest coordinated release of strategic oil reserves since the 1970s in an attempt to cushion the global economy from an escalating fuel shock.

Speaking at a campaign-style rally in Kentucky ahead of November midterm elections, where his Republican Party is trailing in several races, Trump said the United States had prevailed militarily but suggested operations might continue.

“We don’t want to leave early do we?” Trump said on Wednesday. “We got to finish the job.

”The conflict has widened beyond Iran’s territory to shipping lanes and energy infrastructure across the region, heightening concerns among governments and markets about the stability of global oil supply and maritime trade routes.

The military said naval ships were deployed to accompany commercial vessels to ensure the uninterrupted flow of national energy supplies and maintain the security of sea lines of communication, which are critical for the country’s economy.

The escort operation was launched to counter what the military described as “multidimensional threats” to national shipping and maritime commerce. Pakistan relies heavily on sea routes for trade, with the armed forces noting that roughly 90 percent of the country’s commerce moves by sea.

Officials said maintaining secure maritime corridors was essential to ensuring the continuity of energy imports and broader economic stability.

Pakistan, which shares a border with Iran in its southwest, depends significantly on oil and gas supplies from Gulf producers.

Amid concerns about supply disruptions linked to the regional conflict, the government raised domestic fuel prices by about 20 percent last week, triggering long lines at petrol stations across the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced a series of austerity measures aimed at conserving fuel, including closing government offices one day a week and directing half of public-sector staff to work from home.

Authorities also ordered schools to shut for two weeks as part of the effort to reduce fuel consumption and limit transport demand.

The military said naval forces remained fully prepared to respond to emerging maritime security challenges but did not provide further details about the scope or duration of the escort operations.

The move comes as heightened tensions across the Gulf region raise concerns among energy importers about potential disruptions to shipping routes and oil supplies.

The Iranian amphibious landing vessel IRIS Lavan docked in Kochi on Wednesday following an urgent request from Tehran, according to an Indian government source familiar with the matter. The docking occurred the same day a U.S. submarine struck the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast, killing at least 87 people, officials said.Speaking at the annual Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the vessel and two accompanying ships had originally been scheduled to attend a fleet review in India but were caught amid the rapidly deteriorating security environment in the region.“We really approached it from the point of view of humanity,” Jaishankar said, referring to India’s decision to allow the vessel entry despite the complex legal and geopolitical circumstances. “I think we did the right thing.”humanitarian docking amid naval escalationAccording to the Indian government source, New Delhi received Tehran’s request on Feb. 28, the day hostilities between Iran and the United States and its allies intensified.

The request said the Lavan had developed technical issues and required urgent assistance.The ship’s 183 crew members have since been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi while repairs are assessed, the source said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.The docking highlights India’s attempt to balance humanitarian obligations with its broader diplomatic relationships as tensions in the Indian Ocean region rise.U.S. strike sinks Iranian frigateThe Lavan’s arrival coincided with the sinking of the Dena, an Iranian frigate that had earlier participated in naval activities linked to India. The vessel was struck approximately 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s coast, outside the island nation’s territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone, officials said.The attack was carried out by a U.S. submarine as part of the widening conflict launched by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel against Iran, Washington has said. Trump previously stated that degrading Iran’s naval capabilities was among the objectives of the military campaign.The Dena, a domestically built frigate commissioned in 2021 and capable of carrying anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, had been returning from naval activities associated with India shortly before the strike. Regional response and rescue efforts.

Sri Lankan authorities said they were escorting another Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Booshehr, to a harbour on the country’s eastern coast. Most of its crew members were being transferred to a navy camp near Colombo as a precaution, officials said.The incident has underscored growing security risks in the Indian Ocean as the conflict between Washington and Tehran spreads beyond the Middle East into critical maritime routes linking South Asia and the Persian Gulf.India has not commented on the broader military developments but officials said its decision to assist the Iranian vessel was based solely on humanitarian considerations.

Roberto Alvarez Avila died on March 4 while receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the incident, the ministry said. The confrontation occurred when Cuban forces intercepted a speedboat that had entered the country’s territorial waters, resulting in the deaths of four Cuban nationals and injuries to six others aboard the vessel.Hospital death raises casualty tollThe interior ministry said Alvarez Avila had been hospitalized after the incident and died several days later due to injuries sustained during the encounter. His death raises the total number of fatalities linked to the confrontation to five.Cuban officials previously confirmed that security forces opened fire on the speedboat after it entered national waters. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances leading to the interception or the identities of those on board, beyond confirming that the passengers were Cuban nationals.

Six people were initially reported wounded during the operation, and it remains unclear how many continue to receive medical treatment following the incident.Government statement on the operationThe Cuban interior ministry described the episode as a response by state forces to an unauthorized maritime incursion. According to the ministry, the speedboat was detected within Cuban waters before security personnel moved to intercept it.Authorities did not elaborate on whether the vessel was attempting to depart the island or enter from abroad. Cuban officials also did not specify the location of the confrontation beyond confirming it occurred within Cuban territorial waters.Government statements so far have focused on confirming casualty figures and describing the sequence of events surrounding the interception.Limited details releasedCuban authorities have released few operational details since the incident occurred, and no additional information has been provided regarding potential investigations or follow-up actions.

The deaths have drawn attention to maritime security operations around the island, where authorities routinely monitor coastal waters to enforce national border controls.Officials have not indicated whether further statements or findings about the incident will be made public.The interior ministry said the situation remains under review as authorities continue to account for those injured during the confrontation.