By Achile Danjuma
Donald Trump has warned that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) could face a “very bad future” if member states fail to support United States efforts related to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions with Iran.
Speaking in remarks reported by the Financial Times, the US president said NATO allies must take a more active role in ensuring the waterway remains open as the confrontation involving the United States, Iran and Israel escalates.
Trump stressed that countries which benefit most from the vital shipping route should contribute more to efforts aimed at reopening and securing the strait, one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints.
“If they don’t help, NATO is going to have a very bad future,” Trump said, according to the report.
The US president also suggested he could reconsider plans to travel to China later this month for a summit with Xi Jinping, signalling that Washington expects broader international cooperation on the issue.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to global shipping lanes and carries a significant share of the world’s oil exports. Any disruption to traffic through the narrow passage has the potential to trigger major economic and geopolitical consequences.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated in recent weeks, raising concerns among global powers about the security of the strategic waterway and the possibility of wider regional conflict.