TLDR
- Trump warned of a “very bad” future for NATO if European allies don’t join efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz
- Iran blocked the strait after US and Israeli attacks, threatening roughly 20% of global oil supply
- Trump appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to help reopen the channel
- Trump said he may delay his planned summit with China’s Xi Jinping over the issue
- A UK minister pushed back, saying this is “not a NATO war” but “US-Israeli action”
Donald Trump has warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if European allies refuse to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries about 20% of the world’s oil supply.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 President Trump says NATO faces a "very bad future" if allies don't help US against Iran, FT reports. pic.twitter.com/K8kXrmL0yR
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 15, 2026
Trump made the comments in a telephone interview with the Financial Times on Sunday.
Iran blocked the strait after the US and Israel launched attacks against it. The closure has raised concerns about global oil flows and shipping routes in the region.
Trump said he is speaking to “about seven” countries about policing the strait. He appealed directly to China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to join the effort.
“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 FT.
Trump pointed to China’s heavy reliance on the route. Iran is a major oil supplier to China, and Trump said Beijing receives around 90% of its oil through the strait.
“I think China should help too because China gets 90 per cent of its oil from the Straits,” he said. “Waiting until the summit would be too late.”
Trump was scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at a late-March summit in Beijing. He told the FT he could delay that meeting if China does not respond to his request.
High-level talks between US and Chinese officials took place in Paris over the weekend, ahead of the planned Beijing summit.
NATO’s Role Disputed
Trump’s warning puts pressure on European members of NATO to take a side in the conflict. But UK officials have pushed back on the idea that the alliance has any obligation to act.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said on BBC Radio 4 that this is “not a NATO war” but “US-Israeli action.”
Former UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter also weighed in. He said NATO “is not an alliance that was designed for one of the allies to go on a war of choice and then oblige everyone else to follow.”
McFadden said he agreed with Carter’s assessment, while adding that the UK remains “deeply committed to NATO.”
Wider Conflict in the Region
The situation on the ground remains active. Israel said it has begun “limited and targeted ground operations” against Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Heavy bombing has been reported in Tehran. Iran and Hezbollah have launched missiles at Israel in response to attacks.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and downed dozens of drones overnight.
Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, temporarily halted flights following what it described as a “drone-related incident.” The airport said flights would gradually resume.
Smoke was seen near the airport during the disruption.
