US President Donald Trump demanded that approximately seven countries deploy warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, publicly naming China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom among those he expected to contribute. The calls came as Iran continued to restrict shipping through the waterway following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which began on February 28.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he was demanding countries reliant on Middle Eastern oil send naval forces to police the strait. "I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their own territory," he said, arguing that the United States itself requires minimal Gulf oil and should not bear the burden alone.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman, carries roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil and liquefied natural gas. Iranian attacks on commercial shipping have effectively closed the route to most tanker traffic since the conflict began, sending crude prices above $100 per barrel.
Trump had previously issued the call on Truth Social on Saturday, writing that nations "especially those affected by Iran's attempted closure" of the strait would be sending warships "in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe." He specifically named China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom as countries he hoped would contribute naval forces.
Trump also warned NATO members directly, telling the Financial Times that the alliance would face a "very bad future" if member states refused to assist. He said countries benefiting from Gulf oil shipments had a responsibility to help secure the route. "It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," he told the newspaper. Trump also said he was considering delaying a planned visit to China at the end of March unless Beijing clarified its position on the coalition.
As of Sunday evening, no country had made a public commitment to deploy warships. The UK said it was "intensively looking" at what it could do. China's foreign ministry said all parties shared responsibility for ensuring stable energy supply. Japan said dispatching warships was under consideration but that the threshold was "extremely high." South Korea's foreign ministry said it would "closely coordinate and carefully review" the situation with Washington.
Iran's position complicated the framing. Alireza Tangsiri, naval commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the strait was "not militarily blocked and is merely under control," pushing back against US characterisations of a full closure. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS that Tehran had been approached by several countries seeking passage and had allowed some vessels through.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC that Washington had been in dialogue with several of the named countries and expected China to be a "constructive partner." The US Navy had itself not been escorting commercial ships through the strait, despite receiving near-daily requests from shipping companies.
Industry groups reported that the absence of escorts had forced vessels to avoid or delay transit, contributing to supply disruptions and rising freight costs. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration was preparing to announce a formal multinational escort arrangement as early as the coming week.
As of mid-March, the security situation in the Strait of Hormuz remained unresolved. Trump's push for a multinational naval coalition underscored the growing international dimension of the crisis — and the difficulty of assembling one under active conflict conditions.
Yasir Rai
