No firm commitments as Trump seeks help secure Strait of Hormuz

2026-03-16 - 11:43

DUBAI — US President Donald Trump’s call on China and other countries to send their warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz has brought no immediate commitments, as oil prices continue to soar. China’s foreign ministry again expressed alarm over the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing Middle East conflict, while making no mention of sending ships to help secure the vital waterway hours after Trump urged Beijing to do. Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described the situation as “tense” and undermining global stability, adding: “China once again calls on all parties to immediately cease military actions, avoid further escalation of tensions, and prevent regional turbulence from inflicting greater impacts on global economic development.” Earlier, Trump had said in an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday that he could postpone a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, adding that “China should help too because China gets 90% of its oil from the Straits.” Asked about these comments on Monday, Lin said: “Head-of-state diplomacy plays an indispensable role in providing strategic guidance to China-US relations. The two sides remain in communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China.” He also sidestepped a question about whether China had received any request from the US to send ships to the waters around the Strait of Hormuz. China isn’t the only country under pressure from the US to send assistance. On Saturday, Trump had said that “hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others” will send naval assets to free up shipping lanes in the waterway — which has been effectively closed since the start of the war. By closing the major shipping channel, Iran has effectively choked off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, triggering price spikes and fears of energy shortages that could upend the global economy. Facing the worst oil crisis in history, Trump called on other nations to work together to secure the strait. “They were contacted today and last night, but we’ve had some positive response. We had a few that would rather not get involved,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. He did not name the countries his administration contacted. Several countries have reacted to Trump’s call, but did not commit to sending ships to the strait, which has been effectively closed since the war began. Japan is currently not planning to send ships, said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “We have not yet made any decisions regarding the dispatch of naval vessels. We are currently examining what Japan can do independently within our legal framework,” she told parliament on Monday. Australia will not be sending ships. “We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” said Transport Minister Catherine King on Monday. South Korea will carefully review Trump’s request, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing a statement from its presidential office. “We will communicate closely with the US regarding this matter and make a decision after careful review.” Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said on Sunday the United Kingdom is exploring “any options” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. He did not offer details but said “there are different ways that we could contribute” and that those options were being looked at with allies. Tehran says the Hormuz Strait, through which one-fifth of global oil exports normally pass, is open to all except the US and its allies. Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi told the US network CBS that Tehran has been “approached by a number of countries” seeking safe passage for their vessels, “and this is up to our military to decide”. Indian Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar told The Financial Times that negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran had allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the strait on Saturday. “I am at the moment engaged in talking to them, and my talking has yielded some results. This is ongoing... Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution,” Jaishankar said.— Agencies