US President Donald Trump said that he “demanded” other countries contribute to the defense of the Strait of Hormuz because the strait is still effectively closed to oil tankers.
“I really do ask these countries to step up and protect their own territory,” he told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, but declined to name the specific countries. “That’s where they get their energy from, and they should come and help us protect it.”
Trump said that the United States is in talks with “about seven” countries, hoping they can participate in helping ships pass through the strait, but he refused to specify which countries were involved in the discussions.
The US president said that some countries have minesweepers or “some type of vessels” that could help ensure the safety of oil tankers passing through the waterway. He added that he hoped to see such cooperation “immediately” start, but also acknowledged that it “would take some time”.
The conflict in Iran has effectively cut off trade through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a vital maritime passage through which, under normal circumstances, one-fifth of the world’s oil production and numerous other goods are transported. With oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel, reopening trade through the strait has become a key objective for the US president.
He also warned in the interview that if NATO member states do not assist in resolving the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, NATO will face a “very bad” future.
According to informed sources, a recent phone call between Trump and the leaders of the G7 countries reflected the current situation. During the call, European leaders repeatedly asked Trump about his ultimate goal. Trump said he couldn’t discuss the specific goals of the war during the call, but he told the leaders that he had several goals in mind and hoped the conflict would end as soon as possible.
A White House official said that the United States aims to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities and navy and ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons. The US also strives to ensure that the Iranian regime can no longer fund proxy organizations in other countries. The official said that this coalition-based operation will continue until Trump believes that these goals have been achieved.
A senior official from a Gulf Arab state has warned that only a sustained rise in oil prices will eventually force Trump to end the war and declare victory, leaving regional allies to deal with the lingering threat from an injured and angry Iran.
This war may be hard to end, and the reason is simple: Washington and Tehran have different standards for measuring victory.
Although the United States has achieved many successes in attacking Iranian military targets, Tehran still has means to retaliate. Even if its conventional forces are severely damaged, Iran can still cause losses to the United States through proxy wars, harassing shipping and disrupting regional energy flows.
Iran does not need to militarily defeat the United States to claim victory: merely surviving the war might be enough.
“Their calculation is that this is a test of who has greater pain tolerance,” said Nasr, an Iran expert. “They think the US and Israel have a faster sprint, but they are not good at long-distance running.”
Iranian officials have also made it clear that they do not seek a quick ceasefire. Iran’s top leaders view this conflict as an opportunity to restore their deterrence against the United States and Israel and ensure that Iran is no longer subject to attacks.
“Gulf states are eager to return to normalcy: peace and stability, so they can refocus on their national transformation plans,” said Badr al-Saeif, an assistant professor at Kuwait University and a fellow at Chatham House. “This requires major adjustments to security arrangements with Western partners and also dialogue with Iran.”
