Trump urged allies to back Washington’s push to reopen the vital oil route amid the Iran conflict, warning of a ‘very bad future’ for Nato if their response is negative.
US President Donald Trump has warned that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) could face a “very bad” future if its member states fail to support Washington’s efforts to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran.
In an interview with the British daily Financial Times, Trump urged allies, particularly European countries, to join what he described as a “team effort” to secure the key maritime chokepoint through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. The waterway has been largely blocked by Iran following the outbreak of the war more than two weeks ago.
“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,” Trump said, arguing that Europe and China are heavily dependent on oil from the Gulf, unlike the US.
Nato is a military alliance of 31 countries from North America and Europe formed to provide collective defence, meaning an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The US is Nato’s most powerful member and plays a leading role by providing the largest share of military capabilities, funding, and strategic leadership within the alliance.
“We have a thing called Nato. We’ve been very sweet. We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us… But we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them, but they won’t be there for us. And I’m not sure that they’d be there,” the Financial Times quoted the US President as saying.
Trump also indicated that his planned meeting later this month with China’s Xi Jinping could be postponed if Beijing does not help in efforts to reopen the strait. He said China, which relies heavily on Gulf oil imports, has a strong interest in restoring safe passage for tankers.
The comments come as tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East since the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran began on February 28.
Tehran has effectively restricted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Oil prices have surged amid the disruption, with international crude climbing above USD 100 per barrel since the conflict began, a sharp jump from around USD 72-73 before the war.
Trump has repeatedly said that the US Navy would escort oil tankers through the strait. However, no concrete steps in that direction have been announced so far. The White House has said discussions are ongoing with multiple countries about forming a coalition to escort ships through the waterway, though details of the potential operation have not yet been finalised.
