US President Donald Trump has warned in an interview with the Financial Times (FT) that it would be "very bad for the future of NATO" if allies don’t help secure the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
He also said he expected China to help secure the channel, a critical waterway for global oil shipping, and suggested he could delay a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping if the country does not agree.
The US president stepped pressure on European allies by calling into question the future of NATO in order to push through his administration's goals in Iran, which critics have argued are unclear.
"It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there. 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 said in the FT.
On board Air Force One, Trump told journalists he was speaking to "about seven" countries about "policing" the strait, saying he "will remember" if they do not help.
Map of the Strait of Hormuz. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Trump wants tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz to be escorted by the US Navy. He said on Saturday that several countries could send warships to help keep the strait open.
Individual NATO countries are in talks with the United States and other nations about their potential efforts to enhance security in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a NATO official speaking to Bloomberg.
NATO allies have already taken steps to bolster security in the Mediterranean Sea, the official added.
Pacific rejection
Japan and Australia announced on Monday that they will not be sending reinforcements to support Donald Trump in the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told Parliament that the country had no plans to order a maritime security operation in the region.
In Australia, Transport Minister Catherine King said on the ABC network: "We will not deploy a vessel to the Strait of Hormuz."
"While we understand the critical importance of the issue, it is neither something we’ve been asked nor an effort we plan to join," she added.
Meanwhile, Iran has issued warnings against foreign involvement in the conflict, which continues to fuel instability in the Middle East and push oil prices higher.
