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Nazrin Abdul

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Donald Trump, the president of the United States, said he has discussed a potential international effort to police the Strait of Hormuz with several countries, as tensions threaten shipping through one of the world’s most critical energy routes.

As reported by AzerNEWS, speaking to reporters, Trump said he had held talks with “about seven” countries regarding possible cooperation to secure the waterway.

The president specifically named China as one of the nations involved in the discussions, noting that Beijing is heavily dependent on oil shipments that pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

While Trump declined to identify the other countries he had approached, he referenced the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and suggested that nations benefiting from the route should take greater responsibility for protecting it.

Earlier, in comments to the Financial Times, Trump said it was “only appropriate” for countries that rely on the strategic waterway to contribute to efforts aimed at reopening and securing it.

The US leader also warned that a lack of international support could have broader implications for NATO.

“If there is no response, it could be very bad for the future of NATO,” Trump said, adding that Washington has been “very sweet” toward its European allies.

He pointed to the Russia-Ukraine War, arguing that the United States had supported Ukraine despite its geographic distance.

“We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us… But we helped them,” Trump said. “Now we’ll see if they help us.”

The remarks came a day after Trump publicly called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to join a “team effort” to ensure the reopening and security of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil exports from the Persian Gulf to international markets.