Photo : YONHAP News
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that nations relying on the Strait of Hormuz for energy trade should take responsibility for its security.
On Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said he wondered what would happen if the U.S. “finished off” what was left of the “Iranian terror state” and let the countries that use the strait be responsible for the key oil shipping route.
Stressing that the U.S. does not depend on the waterway, Trump said such a scenario would get some of the “non-responsive allies in gear.”
Despite not relying on crude imports from the Middle East, the U.S. has deployed its navy to secure the strait from Iranian threats, considering how a disruption to the shipping route could adversely impact the global economy.
On Tuesday, Trump slammed NATO members who turned down his request to deploy warships to the strait, adding that the U.S. no longer needs help from NATO, Japan, Australia or South Korea.