US President Donald Trump on Sunday sought to pressure NATO allies and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping channel that Iran has closed in retaliation for the US-Israeli war against Tehran.
With the conflict causing turmoil in the Middle East region and shaking the global energy market in its third week, Trump emphasized that the countries that rely heavily on oil from the Gulf have a responsibility to help protect the sea.
“I demand that these countries come in and protect their territory, because it’s their territory,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Florida to Washington.
Although he declined to identify the governments his administration has contacted, Trump said this weekend that he expected more countries to send warships to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for 20 percent of the world’s oil.
He said in a social media post that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea, England and others will participate.
