Trump warns NATO, presses China to help reopen Strait of Hormuz, FT reports
March 15 (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump, in a comment published by the Financial Times on Sunday, warned NATO of a “very bad” future if allies do not help open the Strait of Hormuz and said he may also postpone the planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Speaking to the newspaper, Trump said, “I think China should also help because China gets 90 percent of its oil through the Straits,” adding that he would prefer to know Beijing’s position before the planned visit.
“We may be delayed,” he said about the trip.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng wrapped up the first of two days of talks in Paris on Sunday to resolve disruptions in the trade truce and pave the way for Trump’s visit to Beijing to meet Xi at the end of March.
The US President said that countries benefiting from the shipping route should help secure this route.
“It’s appropriate for people who use the Bosphorus to help ensure that nothing bad happens there,” he told the FT.
Trump on Saturday called on countries to send warships to keep the narrow waterway open to shipping as Iranian forces continue attacks following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, and said he hoped countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain would send ships to the region.
When asked to specify the aid he wanted, Trump told the FT it “could include minesweepers and other military assets to be used against drones and naval mines.”
“We’re hitting them very hard,” Trump said of Iranian forces, according to the FT. “They have nothing to do but cause some trouble in the Bosphorus… these people are taking advantage of this and they need to help us control it.”
Iran has effectively closed the strait after the United States and Israel launched an attack on the strait more than two weeks ago. About one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow water passage between Iran and Oman.
Trump also warned that Washington could launch more attacks on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, saying US forces could target oil infrastructure if necessary.
“We can do this in five minutes,” he said. “And there’s nothing they can do about it.”
Trump also criticized the UK’s response after meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“Britain can be considered the number one ally… and when I asked them to come, they didn’t want to come,” Trump told the Financial Times, adding that Britain had only offered to send ships after the US had already reduced Iran’s military capabilities.
The White House and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham and Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue and Deepa Babington)
