Strait of Hormuz coalition push: Donald Trump calls on about seven countries reliant on Middle East oil to secure shipping lane

US President Donald Trump said he has asked around seven countries that rely heavily on Middle East oil to participate in a coalition aimed at policing the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow maritime route is one of the most important global oil transit points, with approximately one-fifth of the world’s traded oil moving through it.

Trump made the remarks on Sunday while responding to questions from reporters as he travelled back to Washington from Florida aboard Air Force One.

During the exchange, the president said his administration is in talks with several countries about taking part in efforts to monitor and protect shipping activity in the strait.

While discussing the plan, Trump said he has asked several nations that depend on Middle East oil shipments to help patrol the waterway. He did not reveal the names of the countries currently involved in negotiations with the US administration.

“I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their own territory,” Trump said while speaking about the strait.

He also argued that the United States itself does not depend heavily on oil passing through the route because of its own energy access.

According to Trump, China receives about 90% of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, whereas the United States gets only a minimal amount through the same passage. Despite mentioning China’s reliance on the waterway, he declined to comment on whether Beijing would participate in the proposed coalition.

“It would be nice to have other countries police that with us, and we’ll help. We’ll work with them,” Trump said.

In earlier statements, Trump had appealed to several nations to take part in such an arrangement. These included China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Iranian officials have also commented on the situation surrounding the strait. Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran, told CBS that Tehran has been contacted by several countries requesting safe passage for their ships through the waterway.

According to Araghchi, decisions about such requests are handled by Iran’s military authorities.

He said that vessels from “different countries” had already been allowed to pass through the strait, although he did not give details about the specific countries involved.

Iran has stated that the waterway remains open for all nations except the United States and its allies.

Araghchi also addressed the possibility of diplomatic talks aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. He said Iran does not currently see a reason to hold discussions with the United States.

“We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans,” he said when asked about potential negotiations.

The foreign minister stated that the current conflict began after Israel and the United States carried out coordinated attacks on Feb. 28. According to him, those strikes took place during indirect US-Iran discussions concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.

Araghchi also referred to last year’s attacks carried out by the United States and Israel. He said Tehran has “no plan to recover” enriched uranium that remains buried under rubble following those strikes.

The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the most significant maritime routes for global energy supply. A large share of the world’s traded oil passes through the narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf with open sea routes.

Because of this importance, any proposal related to policing or securing the waterway draws attention from governments and energy markets worldwide.

Trump’s call for a coalition reflects an effort to involve countries that rely heavily on oil shipments moving through the region in protecting the route used for global trade.