Donald Trump has warned that the NATO military alliance faces a “very bad future” if allies fail to help the US secure the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the comments in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, a day after he called on China and European and Asian allies to help prevent Iran from blockading the crucial waterway, through which around 20% of the world’s supply of oil and liquid natural gas transits.
Trump said: “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,” the US leader added.
Trump previously said that warships from China, Japan, South Korea, France and the UK should join a “team effort” to help safely escort shipping through the narrow strait, which lies between Iran, the UAE and Oman.
He suggested that he might postpone a scheduled meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this month if Beijing does not acknowledge his request for assistance.
By reportedly launching attacks on merchant ships, Tehran has effectively blocked the strait as part of the war in the region, which began when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28.
The blockade has led to a steep jump in global oil prices, prompting governments around the world to release hundreds of millions of barrels of emergency oil reserves in an effort to soften the economic blow.
With the exception of defensive or evacuation operations, Washington’s NATO allies have been reluctant to become involved in the conflict, citing lessons learned from the drawn out wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last couple decades as well as questions regarding the legality of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
