Trump Tells Allies To Escort Ships Through Hormuz. Not Everyone Is On Board

The United States is reportedly planning to announce a "coalition" of multiple nations to help escort ships through the war-hit Strait of Hormuz as early as this week amid soaring oil prices due to the US and Israel's war on Iran. US President Donald Trump has said that he has demanded that about seven countries send warships to keep the strategic waterways "open and safe", but his appeals have brought no commitments so far. 

Citing US officials, the Wall Street Journal reported that discussions were still underway as to when the US-led naval operations would begin in the Gulf waters-- either before or after the end of the war in the Middle East -- which erupted on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran's subsequent retaliation. 

The White House did not immediately release a statement on the issue.

Trump, last week, claimed the US Navy would "soon" start escorting oil tankers and has said Iran wants to negotiate, but Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi disputed that claim.

"We have never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiations," Araqchi told CBS's "Face the Nation" programme. "We are ready to defend ourselves for as long as it takes."

Trump's Warning To NATO Allies 

Trump has said that NATO faces a "very bad" future if US allies fail to help open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil transport conduit effectively shut by Iran in the Middle East war. Talking to The Financial Times, Trump said that as the United States has aided Ukraine in the war with Russia, he expects Europe to help on the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for 20 per cent of the world's oil.

"If there's no response or if it's a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO," said Trump, who over the years has criticised the alliance as freeloading on US largesse.

Trump's Call To China

Trump also said an upcoming summit in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping could be delayed as he presses for Beijing's help to open the strait. 

"We'd like to know before" the summit, Trump said, noting that China, as well as many European countries, relies more than the United States on oil flowing from the Gulf.

"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," Trump said.

US In Talks With 7 Nations

Separately, while talking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said that the United States was in discussions with about "seven" countries on getting help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. "I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory," Trump told reporters, without identifying the governments that his administration has contacted. 

The US leader added that he expected many countries would send warships to allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Later in a social media post, he said he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would participate.

Muted Response To Trump's Campaign

So far, no US ally has made any promises to send troops to support Trump's campaign. In fact, Australia and Japan said they won't send their ships to the strait after Trump's request.

US-Iran War Claims

US officials responding to economic uncertainty over high oil prices told news agency Reuters that the war on Iran "would end within weeks" and that a drop in energy costs would follow, despite Iran's assertion that it remains "stable and strong" and ready to defend itself.

Trump had threatened more strikes on Iran's main oil export hub, Kharg Island, over the weekend and said he was not ready to reach a deal to end the war, which has shut off the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The crude oil prices are hovering around $100 a barrel, while Trump administration officials insist that all signs point to a relatively quick end to the conflict.

"This conflict will certainly come to the end in the next few weeks – could be sooner than that ... and we'll see a rebound in supplies and a pushing down of prices after that," US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told ABC's "This Week" programme.