WASHINGTON, March 16, 2026 (Reuters) — US President Donald Trump has warned that NATO could face a “very bad future” if allies fail to assist Washington in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to an interview with the Financial Times.
“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump told the newspaper, stressing that Europe and China depend heavily on Gulf oil supplies. He added that a lack of support from allies would have consequences for the alliance.
Trump criticized what he described as insufficient backing from some partners and urged countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to join efforts to secure the shipping route, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, where Iranian authorities claim the Strait of Hormuz is closed to US and Israeli ships. More than 1,000 cargo vessels, mainly oil and gas tankers, have been blocked from transiting the strait, raising fears of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies.