Trump warns NATO faces very bad future if allies refuse to help open Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump warned Sunday in an interview with the Financial Times that NATO could face a very bad future if US allies don’t help open the Strait of Hormuz.
“It’s perfectly natural that the beneficiaries of this strait would contribute to ensuring that no unfortunate incident occurs in it,” the US president said, recalling that Europe and China, unlike the United States, are heavily dependent on Gulf oil.
“If there is no response to the US call, or if the response is negative, I think that will lead to serious consequences for the future of NATO,” he said.
He also warned that the upcoming summit in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping from March 31 to April 2 could be postponed if Beijing doesn’t help open the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think China should also help, because it imports 90% of its oil through the strait,” he said.
“We want to know before the summit,” Trump said, adding that it may be postponed without providing further details.
Trump has called on several countries to send warships to help protect global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, which have been almost halted since the war began, sending prices of energy resources, especially oil, to levels not seen in years.
The strait, through which a fifth of global oil production passes, is almost completely shut down by Iranian strikes and threats.
