Donald Trump asks seven nations to escort ships through Strait of Hormuz but allies reluctant to commit

With oil prices rising and shortage of crude looming, the United States President has demanded that the seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. However, there has been no commitment from any nation so far.

As the West Asia crisis has spiraled into a full-scale regional war, its impact is being felt across the world. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil usually passes, has caused a severe global energy crisis. With prices rising and shortage of crude looming, United States President Donald Trump has demanded seven countries to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. However, there has been no commitment from any nation so far.

Trump declined to name the countries heavily reliant on West Asia crude that the administration is negotiating with to join a coalition to police the key waterway.

He boasted that the strait was not something the United States needs because of its own access to oil. "I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their own territory," he said.

Earlier, he appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain to join the coalition. He said China gets about 90% of its oil from the strait, while US gets a minimal amount.

On the other hand, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran has been "approached by a number of countries" seeking safe passage for their vessels, "and this is up to our military to decide".

He went on to say that vessels from "different countries" had been allowed to pass the strait but did not give any names.

Though, he empahised that strait is open to all except the United States and its allies.

"We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans", Araghchi said and dismissed the notion that the onus is on Tehran to stop the war. He said it was US and Israel who struck them with a coordinated attack, last month.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that he has been "in dialogue" with some of the countries Trump had mentioned previously, and said he expected China "will be a constructive partner" in getting the strait reopened.

The same was also discussed with Britain Prime Minister Keir Starmer who emphasised the importance of reopening the strait "to end the disruption to global shipping".

A spokesperson for China's embassy to the US, Liu Pengyu, said previously that "all parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply" and that China would "strengthen communication with relevant parties" for de-escalation.

South Korea, on the other hand, said that it "takes note" of Trump's call and that it "will closely coordinate and carefully review" the situation with the US.

Trump will ask Japan directly when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets him on Thursday at the White House.

However, Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told Parliament that, "In the current Iran situation, we are not at the moment considering issuing a maritime security operation."

Australia, another key Indo-Pacific ally to the US, said it had not been asked and would not send naval ships to ⁠assist in reopening the strait ‌either.

"We know how incredibly important that is, but that's not something that we've been asked or that we're contributing to," Catherine King, a member of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Cabinet, said.