Former U.S. President Donald Trump has called for increased international naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz, appealing to countries like the United Kingdom and China for assistance amid ongoing disruptions to shipping in the critical waterway. The request comes as tensions remain high following recent military actions against Iran.
According to reports from the BBC, Trump urged the UK and other nations to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help secure the vital shipping lane from the Middle East. He also expressed hope that China, France, Japan, and South Korea would contribute naval assets, noting that several tanker ships have been reportedly attacked since the start of the conflict between the U.S. And Iran two weeks ago.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence stated it is discussing “a range of options to ensure maritime security in the region” with its allies in response to Trump’s comments. Iran, however, has vowed to continue blocking the strait, a crucial passage for global oil supplies, with approximately 20% of the world’s oil passing through it daily.
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The effective closure of the strait, coupled with attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure since the war began, has led to a significant surge in global oil prices. This development underscores the potential for wider economic repercussions from the conflict.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, March 14, 2026, Trump stated that “many countries” would be sending warships alongside the U.S. To help keep the strait “open and safe.”
Trump claimed that “100% of Iran’s military capability” had been destroyed, but acknowledged that Tehran remains capable of launching drones, deploying mines, or firing short-range missiles in the waterway.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, England, and other countries affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area so that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer a threat from a country that has been totally decimated,” Trump said.
“Meanwhile, the United States will bombard the coastline with tremendous force, and continue to shoot down Iranian ships. One way or another, we will soon open, secure, and liberate the Strait of Hormuz!” he continued.
Trump reiterated his call in a subsequent post, extending it to all “countries of the world that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz,” and said the U.S. Would provide “tremendous” support to those who participate.
Separately, Trump threatened to target Iran’s vital oil infrastructure on Kharg Island if its leadership “interferes” with ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump claimed the U.S. Had “destroyed” targets on a minor island off the coast of Iran on Friday, March 13, 2026, calling it “one of the most devastating bombing attacks in the history of the Middle East.”
Iran’s military stated that oil and energy infrastructure belonging to companies cooperating with the U.S. Would be “immediately destroyed” if its island infrastructure is attacked.
Tehran has escalated such attacks against energy targets in the Gulf, which has grow a key element of its response to U.S. And Israeli strikes. On Thursday, Iran warned that any tanker heading to the U.S., Israel, or their partners was a legitimate target.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in its latest update on March 12 that 16 ships have been reported attacked within and around the strait since the war began on February 28. The U.S. Navy is currently not escorting tankers through the narrow waterway.
Trump’s remarks came a week after he said the U.S. Did not need the UK to send an aircraft carrier to the region and accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of trying to “join a war after we’ve already won.”
He also told U.S. Partners at the BBC and CBS that he “didn’t care” if allies did more to help with the war.
“It’s a little late to send ships, isn’t it?” he said.
He previously criticized Starmer for not joining initial strikes against Iran and refusing to allow the U.S. To use British bases for joint attacks with Israel, calling him “not a Winston Churchill.” The UK Prime Minister subsequently approved defensive U.S. Actions against Iranian missile sites from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, stating that Iran’s response had become a threat to the UK.
The Royal Navy’s first and only warship in the region, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon, departed for Cyprus on Tuesday. The ship will reinforce RAF Akrotiri after it was struck by a drone.
The Royal Navy previously stationed a mine countermeasures vessel in Bahrain, but no longer has that capability after withdrawing HMS Middleton. Ministers have affirmed the UK was building up its RAF presence in the region prior to the conflict, with the aim of protecting British military personnel.
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