Trump Pushes For American Taxpayers, U.S. Servicemembers to Insure Oil Tankers Stranded in Persian Gulf
As price of oil skyrockets, Trump to consider risking service members lives to ensure the oil continues to flow
WASHINGTON — As the explosive fallout of the Trump administration’s attack on Iran continues to expand, the President today said the U.S. would offer insurance coverage to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz after the private insurance markets abandoned the market as too risky, according to a social media post by the president this afternoon. The policies would be sold through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort shipping through the strait, according to the President. In response, Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, issued the following statement:
“The administration was clearly unprepared for prolonged counterattacks and disruption of marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz when it launched its unconstitutional war on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Now the Trump Administration is considering forcing the men and women of the armed forces to put their lives on the line to maintain foreign country oil flows out of the Persian Gulf, and will compel the American taxpayer to provide risk insurance for oil tankers—while American families struggle to afford health insurance.
“Trump’s calamitous attack on Iran shows the extreme vulnerability, intermittency and unreliability of fossil fuels. From failing to perform during extreme weather events, to demonstrating a lack of resilience during global upheaval like war, fossil fuels continue to demonstrate just how inferior and expensive they are relative to renewable energy.”
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