U.S. President Donald Trump is urging nations reliant on oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz to work with the United States to secure the vital waterway. The call comes as tensions escalate in the region and global oil prices continue to rise.
President Trump reiterated his request on Sunday, emphasizing the need for assistance in ensuring the free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that the future of NATO could be jeopardized if allies do not offer support, and indicated a potential postponement of his upcoming trip to China if Beijing fails to cooperate.
“It’s perfectly appropriate that those who benefit from this strait contribute to ensuring that nothing untoward happens there,” Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times, noting that Europe and China are heavily dependent on oil from the Gulf, unlike the United States.
“If there’s no response [to the U.S. Request], or if the response is negative, I think that will have very bad consequences for the future of NATO,” he added.
The Strait of Hormuz, a Strategic Target
“I think China should similarly facilitate, because they import 90% of their oil through the strait,” he stated, specifying that he would like a response from Beijing before his state visit to China, where he is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping from March 31 to April 2. “We’d like to realize before that,” he said, adding that they “could postpone” the visit if a response isn’t received.
Since the beginning of the weekend, Donald Trump has been urging countries that depend on oil transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure its security in coordination with the United States.
Tehran is targeting the strait in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes, aiming to render it unusable – a strategy intended to harm the global economy and pressure Washington as oil prices continue to surge. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway through which, under normal circumstances, a fifth of the world’s hydrocarbon production transits.
