Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz as the United States intensifies its efforts to reopen one of the world’s most critical energy shipping lanes amid escalating military confrontation with Iran.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Donald Trump said Washington had received indications that several countries may participate in a multinational effort to restore safe passage through the strategic waterway.
“Numerous countries have told me they’re on the way — some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t,” Trump said during a public event.
The U.S. president added that some of the countries considering participation were long-standing beneficiaries of American security guarantees.
“Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years,” he said.
The comments highlight growing frustration in Washington over what officials see as a slow response from allies as global shipping and energy markets continue to be shaken by the conflict.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz because the narrow waterway remains one of the most vital transit routes for global energy supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean, making it the primary shipping route for oil exports from several major producers in the Middle East.
Roughly one fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the strait each day under normal circumstances.
Since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran began, commercial traffic through the strait has slowed dramatically. Some shipping companies have suspended operations altogether, while others are rerouting vessels or waiting for security guarantees before resuming voyages.
The disruption has strained global supply chains and contributed to sharp swings in oil prices.
For governments and energy companies around the world, the security of the waterway has become a top priority.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz while expressing disappointment that many countries have so far declined to publicly commit to the U.S. plan.
The president specifically referenced the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, arguing that several allied nations have benefited from American defense spending without offering sufficient support during the current crisis.
He said Washington has spent “tens of billions of dollars” protecting allies over the years and suggested that those countries should now contribute more actively to maintaining global maritime security.
The remarks reflect a broader theme in Trump’s foreign policy, which has often emphasized burden-sharing among allies.
The administration believes that protecting international shipping routes should be a shared responsibility among the countries that benefit from them.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz as the conflict continues to roil global energy markets.
Oil prices surged sharply in the first weeks of the war, reflecting fears that prolonged disruptions could reduce global supply.
Since the start of the fighting, crude prices have risen more than 40 percent at one point before showing signs of volatility.
On Monday, U.S. benchmark crude traded about 4 percent lower at around $94 a barrel in New York after reports suggested that emergency stockpiles might soon be released to stabilize markets.
Meanwhile, Brent crude — the global benchmark — traded near $101 a barrel after briefly dropping below the $100 threshold.
Even with the temporary decline, prices remain significantly higher than before the conflict began.
Energy analysts warn that continued instability in the Strait of Hormuz could keep markets volatile for months.
Disruption to oil production
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced several oil-producing countries to adjust their production levels and export strategies.
Producers such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have reduced output in response to the shipping bottleneck.
Although a small number of vessels have begun cautiously navigating the waterway, traffic remains far below normal levels.
Energy companies and tanker operators are closely monitoring the security situation before committing ships to the route.
The disruption illustrates how a relatively narrow maritime passage can influence the global economy.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz while claiming that U.S. military operations have already significantly weakened Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.
According to Trump, American forces have destroyed more than 30 Iranian vessels capable of laying naval mines.
Those ships form part of Iran’s strategy for potentially blocking the waterway during a conflict.
Mine warfare has long been considered one of Tehran’s most effective tools for disrupting maritime traffic.
By targeting these vessels, Washington aims to reduce the threat to tankers and cargo ships traveling through the region.
“We’re hammering their capacity to threaten commercial shipping,” Trump said.
However, he also acknowledged that U.S. officials were not certain whether Iran had already placed mines in the strait.
If such mines were deployed, Trump warned, it would be “a form of suicide” for Tehran because it would provoke an even stronger military response.
Scope of U.S. strikes
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz as the United States continues a wide-ranging military campaign targeting Iranian infrastructure.
According to the president, American forces have struck more than 7,000 targets since the beginning of the conflict.
Trump claimed the attacks had severely degraded Iran’s military defenses.
“Iran’s anti-aircraft is decimated, their radar is gone and their leaders are gone,” he said.
Those remarks refer to earlier strikes that Iranian officials say killed the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, along with other senior military figures.
While Washington has not confirmed those specific claims, the scale of the reported attacks indicates the intensity of the conflict.
Despite the heavy bombardment, fighting continues across multiple fronts.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz while also signaling that Washington could escalate the conflict by targeting Iran’s energy sector.
The president warned that the United States could expand strikes on Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal.
Located off Iran’s southern coast, the island handles the vast majority of the country’s crude shipments to international markets.
Trump said the United States had already struck military targets on the island but deliberately avoided damaging oil infrastructure.
“We can do that on five minutes’ notice. It’ll be over,” he said when asked about the possibility of attacking those facilities.
Energy analysts say such a strike would have immediate global consequences.
Because Kharg Island accounts for roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude exports, disabling its infrastructure could remove significant supply from international markets.
As the war entered its 17th day, fighting continued to spread across the Persian Gulf region.
Iran launched new strikes targeting facilities linked to energy infrastructure in the UAE.
A drone attack forced the temporary suspension of operations at the oil export terminal in Fujairah, one of the region’s major shipping hubs.
The attack marked the second strike on the site in two days.
Elsewhere, flights at Dubai International Airport were briefly halted after authorities reported a fire at a fuel storage tank.
Officials said the fire was caused by an Iranian drone strike.
At the same time, Israeli forces continued airstrikes on infrastructure inside Iran, including targets in the capital, Tehran.
Domestic pressure in the United States
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz while facing growing economic pressure at home due to rising fuel costs.
Gasoline prices in the United States have increased steadily since the conflict began.
Data from the American Automobile Association shows the average price of gasoline rising each day over the past two weeks.
Higher fuel costs represent a sensitive issue for American consumers and can influence political sentiment.
Administration officials have urged the public to remain patient while global energy markets adjust to the crisis.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz by contributing naval vessels to escort commercial ships through the waterway.
The president said several major economies had been asked to participate, including France, the United Kingdom, Japan and China.
He added that Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, would soon announce which countries had agreed to support the initiative.
Some of those partners, Trump said, would likely be nations located relatively close to the region.
The goal would be to provide naval escorts for commercial vessels until shipping traffic returns to normal levels.
Despite the U.S. appeal, many governments remain cautious about joining the operation.
In Europe, officials have begun discussing whether an existing naval mission in the Red Sea could be redirected toward the Strait of Hormuz.
However, such a move would require unanimous agreement among participating countries and faces resistance from some governments, including Germany.
In Asia, key American allies such as Japan and South Korea have also stopped short of committing naval forces.
Japanese officials said there were currently no plans to deploy ships to escort stranded tankers.
The hesitation comes as Tokyo prepares for a visit by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the White House later this week.
The United Kingdom has similarly avoided committing to a full naval mission, although Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London would continue exploring options with allies.
China has not publicly committed to Trump’s proposal.
However, commentary in the state-run Global Times dismissed the idea as an attempt by Washington to distribute the risks of a conflict that it started.
Beijing remains one of the largest importers of oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz, making the stability of the route economically significant for China.
At the same time, Chinese officials have historically been reluctant to join U.S.-led military coalitions.
Trump suggested that he could postpone a planned visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping if Beijing declined to help secure the waterway.
However, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later said any delay would likely be due to logistical issues rather than political pressure.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz even as the prospects for negotiations with Iran remain unclear.
The president recently suggested that Tehran might be willing to negotiate an end to the conflict.
However, he said Washington would demand stronger conditions, including the abandonment of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
On Monday, Trump also expressed uncertainty about who within Iran’s leadership might be able to negotiate.
“We don’t know who their leader is,” he said.
There have been conflicting reports about the condition of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, following recent attacks.
Iranian officials have not confirmed those claims.
Iran rejects ceasefire talks
Iran has publicly denied that it is seeking negotiations or a ceasefire with the United States.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran believes the war must end in a way that prevents future attacks.
“The reason we say we do not want a ceasefire is not because we are seeking war,” he told reporters during a briefing.
“But because this time this war must end in such a way that our enemies never again think of repeating these attacks.”
The conflict has already taken a significant human toll across the region.
According to estimates compiled by governments and humanitarian organizations, nearly 4,000 people have been killed since the fighting began.
Meanwhile, countries are exploring alternative routes for exporting oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia has begun pumping crude through a pipeline connecting its eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
The pipeline allows part of Saudi Arabia’s exports to avoid the strait, although it cannot replace the full volume normally shipped through the waterway.
The security environment in the Gulf remains extremely tense.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, at least 16 attacks on vessels have been reported in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.
Those incidents include drone strikes, missile attacks and suspected sabotage operations.
The growing number of maritime incidents underscores the urgency behind Washington’s push for a multinational security effort.
Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz as the world watches closely to see whether international cooperation can restore stability to the critical shipping lane.
The coming weeks may determine whether a coalition emerges to protect maritime trade or whether the conflict continues to disrupt global energy supplies.
With oil markets already volatile and shipping routes under threat, the outcome will shape not only the course of the war but also the broader stability of the global economy.
