US President Donald Trump has warned that NATO could face a “very bad” future if allies fail to assist the United States in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil chokepoint disrupted amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
In an interview to Financial Times, Trump said that countries that benefit from the waterway should contribute to efforts to keep it open.
“It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump said, noting that Europe and China depend far more on Gulf oil than the US
“If there's no response or if it's a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” he added.
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The remarks came after Trump urged China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to join what he described as a “team effort” to secure the strategic waterway. Roughly a fifth of global oil shipments pass through the strait.
Iran effectively shut the route after the U.S. and Israel launched military operations more than two weeks ago. The disruption has heightened concerns about a global oil supply shock, with international crude prices rising to about $106 per barrel, up roughly 45% since the conflict began.
Trump said he wanted allies to provide practical military assistance, including minesweepers and forces capable of countering threats from drones and naval mines along the Iranian coast.
Asked what kind of support he expected, Trump replied: “Whatever it takes.”
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He also indicated that his planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month could be postponed if Beijing does not act sooner to help reopen the strait.
“I think China should help too because China gets 90 per cent of its oil from the Straits,” Trump said, adding that waiting until the summit would be too late.
Trump also voiced frustration with Britain's response after speaking with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“The UK might be considered the number one ally… and when I asked for them to come, they didn't want to come,” Trump said, adding that support offered later was “after we win.”
Meanwhile, Trump warned that the U.S. could launch fresh strikes on Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub, claiming Washington had already damaged parts of the facility. “We can hit that in five minutes,” he said.
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