WASHINGTON
\nUS President Donald Trump has escalated his campaign to enlist international support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the future of NATO could be at risk if European and Asian allies fail to assist. Many countries including Britain, Japan have refused to be part of Trump plan to get Strait of Hormuz free from Iranian control.
\n\u201cIf there\u2019s no response or if it\u2019s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,\u201d Trump declared in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday. Trump also said that he could delay his summit with China\u2019s President Xi Jinping later this month as he pressed Beijing to help unblock the crucial waterway.
\nIn the same interview, he repeated an earlier appeal that countries dependent on Gulf oil should bear shared responsibility for ensuring the free flow of energy through the strategically vital waterway. \u201cIt\u2019s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,\u201d he said.
\nTrump\u2019s comments, made in an eight-minute phone call with the FT, came a day after he appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to join a \u201cteam effort\u201d to open up the chokepoint through which a fifth of the world\u2019s oil passes. The appeals come more than two weeks after the US and Israel launched airstrikes at Iran, as the war effectively restricted shipping through the Strait, a chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world\u2019s oil passes.
\nThe blockade has already contributed to a sharp surge in international oil prices, which reached $106 a barrel by Sunday \u2014 a 45 per cent increase since the start of the conflict. Gasoline prices in the United States have also jumped, reaching a national average of $3.68 per gallon, according to AAA, an increase of nearly 24 per cent in a fortnight.
\nThe New York Times noted that the Trump administration appears to have misjudged the economic fallout. \u201cHis advisers appear to have miscalculated how severely Iranian retaliation could disrupt global energy markets,\u201d the newspaper noted. It added that oil prices have risen \u201cby more than 40 percent, defying efforts to calm markets.\u201d
\nThe political fallout at home is also becoming more visible. The Times observed that \u201cThe Trump administration has struggled to sell the war with Iran to a skeptical American public, including Trump\u2019s own right-wing supporters.\u201d Trump has taken to Truth Social to reiterate his call, promising that the United States would coordinate with allied nations to \u201ckeep the Strait open and safe.\u201d
\nYet his repeated public urgings underscore the difficulties Washington faces in mobilizing allies to take direct military action. The UK Ministry of Defence responded cautiously, stating that it was \u201cdiscussing a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region\u201d with its partners.
\nThe challenge is partly logistical. Analysts note that the US Navy\u2019s mine-sweeping capabilities are currently deployed elsewhere, limiting Washington\u2019s ability to secure the passage unilaterally.
\nStrategic ambiguity has further complicated matters. While at first Trump enthusiastically called on Iranians to rise up, the Times reported that he later shifted tone, noting he expressed skepticism that a popular uprising could succeed, saying opponents faced \u201ca big hurdle\u201d because they were likely to be gunned down if they mounted protests.
\nDaniel Shapiro, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East from 2024 to 2025, told the Atlantic Council: \u201cWhat is less clear is how well the Israeli goal of regime change matches the United States\u2019 objectives, or if it does, how long that will remain the case.\u201d
\nHe added: \u201cTrump and his administration have offered inconsistent explanations of the war\u2019s strategic objectives.\u201d Regional dynamics are also influencing Washington\u2019s approach. According to the NYT , \u201cTrump is talking regularly to Arab leaders, particularly Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump has escalated his campaign to enlist international support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the future of NATO could be at risk if European and Asian allies fail to assist. Many countries including Britain, Japan have refused to be part of Trump plan to get Strait of Hormuz […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-537040","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n