US President Donald Trump said countries that rely on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz should take greater responsibility for protecting the vital maritime corridor, adding that Washington is prepared to assist in securing the route.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said nations benefiting from energy shipments through the strategic waterway must play a role in safeguarding the passage.
“Countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — a lot,” Trump said.
He added that the United States would work with those countries to ensure coordinated efforts move forward “quickly, smoothly, and well.”
Trump also argued that responsibility for securing the critical shipping lane should always have been shared among the nations that depend on it.
“This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be,” he said.
The comments come as tensions continue to escalate in the region after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, following the start of joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran three days earlier.
The attacks, launched on Feb. 28, targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure and have killed more than 1,200 people, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to regional reports.
Since then, Tehran has responded with waves of drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and several Gulf states hosting US military installations. The strikes have caused casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, raising fears of a wider regional conflict while threatening one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.