U.S. President Donald Trump warned that NATO could face a “very bad” future if alliance members fail to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while also urging China to take part in efforts to secure the strategic shipping corridor, Baltimore Chronicle reports with reference to Reuters.
In remarks published by the Financial Times on Sunday, Trump said countries benefiting from the vital maritime route should contribute to maintaining its security and ensuring the continued flow of energy shipments. The U.S. president also indicated that a planned visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping could be postponed depending on China’s stance regarding the situation in the Gulf.
“I think China should help too because China gets 90% of its oil from the Straits,” Trump told the newspaper, emphasizing that Washington would prefer clarity on Beijing’s position before finalizing the trip. When asked about the scheduled meeting with Xi, Trump responded that it “may” be delayed.
The comments came as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng concluded the first of two days of negotiations in Paris aimed at resolving remaining issues in the countries’ trade truce and preparing the ground for Trump’s expected visit to China later in March.
Trump stressed that nations relying on the Strait of Hormuz for energy supplies should play a role in safeguarding the passage. He told the Financial Times that it was appropriate for those benefiting from the shipping route to help ensure stability and prevent disruptions.
A day earlier, the U.S. president publicly called on several countries to deploy naval forces to the region to keep the narrow waterway open to commercial traffic. He said that China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain, among others, could contribute ships to the effort as Iranian forces continue attacks following U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.
According to Trump, the requested support could include minesweepers and other military assets capable of countering naval mines and drone threats in the area. He said the United States had already carried out significant strikes against Iranian forces.
“We’re hitting them very hard,” Trump said, according to the Financial Times. He added that Iran had limited options remaining beyond attempting to disrupt shipping in the strait and argued that countries benefiting from the route should assist in maintaining security there.
Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched attacks against the country more than two weeks earlier. The waterway, located between Iran and Oman, serves as one of the world’s most important energy corridors, with roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally passing through the narrow channel.
Trump also warned that Washington could conduct additional strikes against Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal. He said U.S. forces could target Iran’s oil infrastructure if circumstances required it.
“We can hit that in five minutes,” Trump said, referring to the facility. “And there’s not a thing they can do about it.”
The U.S. president also expressed dissatisfaction with the response of the United Kingdom after speaking with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump told the Financial Times that Britain had been reluctant to send naval support when Washington initially requested assistance.
“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 London only offered to dispatch ships after U.S. operations had already significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities.
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