On Monday, President Trump criticized China along with several U.S. allies for hesitating to assist in patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passageway for global oil trade, which he urges needs reopening.
Trump mentioned that he has reached out to seven nations, requesting them to deploy ships to keep this essential shipping route operational amidst ongoing tensions with Iran. However, his calls have so far gone unanswered, with even one NATO ally declining to participate.
This hesitation from other countries persists despite the fact that the majority of the oil transported through the strait is destined for Asian markets.
“They should not only be expressing their gratitude, but also offering their assistance,” Trump remarked.
“What surprises me is their lack of willingness to get involved,” he added.
Since the conflict began, Iran has essentially blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel that facilitates the movement of 20% of the world’s oil supply.
With Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterating that the passageway is “closed to enemies” of Tehran, Trump has reached out to America’s allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
China — which gets 45% of its oil via the strait — said it is in talks with Iran to let its ships through.
Some ships from India, Pakistan and Turkey have been allowed through the blockade.
“Iran has always used that as an economic weapon, and it’s not going to be able to be used very long,” Trump said of the crucial waterway.
“Numerous countries have told me they’re on the way. Some are very enthusiastic about it,” he added while declining to name all the nation’s he’s spoken to.
The public responses, however, have been tepid given Iran’s dominance over the passageway and repeated attacks on tankers and merchant vessels trying to cross since the war began.
With the strait shut down, oil prices continue to spike, with the cost of crude up nearly 40% since the war, with Brent hitting $102.27 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude at $94.36 on Monday.
The top recipients of oil that flows through Hormuz from countries in the Persian Gulf are:
- China — which takes 38% of the oil
- India — 15%
- South Korea — 12%
- Japan — 11%
- EU — 4%
The US takes about 2.5% of the oil from Gulf countries.
Germany refuses to get involved
After Trump warned NATO of a “very bad” future if nothing was done to secure the critical oil passageway, Stefan Kornelius, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, told reporters in Berlin that the defense bloc will not get involved.
“This war has nothing to do with NATO. It’s not NATO’s war,” Kornelius said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius echoed Kornelius’ response, saying there was nothing Europe could offer that the US doesn’t already have.
“What does (…) Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. navy cannot do?” Pistorius asked, according to Reuters.
“This is not our war, we have not started it.”
Italy will avoid the Strait of Hormuz
Italian officials also expressed hesitanty to get involved in the Strait of Hormuz following repeated attacks on foreign oil tankers and merchant vessels from Iranian drones and missiles.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that while his country would support naval reinforcements along the Red Sea for defensive measures, missions in the Strait of Hormuz were out of the question.
“I don’t think these missions can be expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz, especially since they are anti-piracy and defensive missions,” Tajani told reporters in Brussels.
Japan has not made a decision
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, whose country was directly called upon to help, also voiced her hesitation to police the waters as she prepares for a meeting with Trump later this week.
“We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” Takaichi told Japan’s parliament.
However, observers say that Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces are not designed to take on expeditionary missions far from home.
UK says it’s not NATO’s responsibility
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who spoke to Trump on Sunday, said that the Strait of Hormuz needed to be reopened to “ensure stability in the market” as oil prices continue to rise.
“We’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible,” he told reporters Monday.
Starmer, however, noted that securing the strait “is not a simple task” and was not NATO’s responsibility.
“It’s never been envisioned to be a NATO mission,” he said. “That will have to be an alliance of partners, which is why we’re working with partners in Europe, in the Gulf and with the US… It is not straightforward.”
France will not deploy warships
The French Foreign Ministry confirmed that Paris would not send ships to the Strait, reiterating that its military mission in the Middle East remains “defensive.”
Trump said that French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he spoke Sunday has been “on a scale of zero to 10, I’d say he’s been an eight. Not perfect, but it’s France.”
“I do a hard sell on them, because my attitude is, we don’t need anybody,” said the president, in describing his conversations. “We’re the strongest nation in the world.”
Marcon has spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian about diplomatically restoring access to the Strait of Hormuz.
South Korea hesitates to join
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s office issued a statement Monday that Seoul would “communicate closely” with the US regarding the Strait of Hormuz, but that no commitments were being made at this time.
Lee’s office said securing the strait was important, but a decision to join the war has to be handled “very carefully,” according to the local Yonhap News Agency.
China remains silent on Strait of Hormuz
Beijing has yet to comment on Trump’s request for assistance after the president said he reached out directly to China about the issue.
During a daily briefing with reporters, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated Beijing’s wish for a swift cease-fire between Iran and the US and Israel.
The ministry, however, issued no statement regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said Monday that he’s asked Beijing for a one-month delay to the US-China summit that had been planned to start at the end of March, citing his need to remain at the White House to monitor operations in Iran.
China has been in talks with Iran on allowing crude oil and Qatari natural gas carriers to pass safely, but the details of those talks have yet to be revealed.
India in talks with Iran on safe passage
India has not discussed the deployment of its naval forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s External Affairs Ministry said Monday.
Instead, New Delhi is in talks with Iran on releasing three of Tehran’s tankers seized in February in order to allow India safe passage through the strait.
Several Indian tankers have traveled through the passageway since the war began, with Iran’s ambassador to New Delhi discussing a potential deal on Monday, Reuters reported.
