The president’s message to world leaders about the Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump is calling on nations around the world to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and Israel continue Operation Epic Fury against Iran

by Summer Lane | March 16, 2026

President Donald Trump projected disapproval with world leaders who are refusing to assist the U.S. military in securing the Strait of Hormuz as Operation Epic Fury continues in the Middle East.

This comes amid mounting trepidation that the Strait – key to transporting 20 percent of the world’s oil supply – is unsafe, due to Iran’s continual threats against the integral shipping corridor.

“We are aggressively dismantling Iran’s defense industrial base and ability to rebuild its missiles,” said President Trump on Monday, during remarks to the press at the White House.

“[Iran’s] drone capabilities [are] getting down to close to zero, and we’re hammering their capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz with more than 30 mine-laying ships destroyed,” he continued.

President Trump said his administration strongly encouraged other nations, whose economies depend on the Strait of Hormuz, to step in and help secure the passageway – countries like Japan, China, South Korea and many European nations.

“We want them to come and help us with the Strait,” President Trump said. “We have it in very good shape…we’ve already taken care of Iran, but now, because of the fact that literally a single terrorist can put something in the water or shoot something, or shoot a missile, a small missile, and it’s fairly close range because it is a tight area…Iran has always used that as an economic weapon.”

The president said that “numerous countries” had told him that they are “on the way” to help secure the Strait: “Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t…the level of enthusiasm matters to me.”

The president paused to voice his frustration with countries – and he did not specify who – that balked at getting involved in “something very minor,” after years of benefiting from American military protection.

President Donald Trump’s pressure on foreign countries to tighten up security in the Strait of Hormuz comes amid a volatile oil market. According to the Associated Press, U.S. markets have seen elevated oil prices amid the war with Iran, spiking about 45 percent.

Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth projected clarity and confidence about the U.S. military’s ability to secure the Strait even as the new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtabe Khamenei, has openly threatened it. Hegseth remarked, “Don’t even worry about it.”

As of Monday, the U.S. Central Command confirmed the continuation of Operation Epic Fury, announcing the destruction of more than 100 Iranian Naval vessels, the destruction of 90 Iranian military targets, and the successful missions of more than 6,000 combat flights across the Joint Force.