President Trump said Monday he is keeping a close watch on which countries help the U.S. break Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and reopen the critical passage to oil traffic.
At a White House press conference, Mr. Trump vented his frustration at countries that were skeptical of sending naval assets to the region to help U.S. forces reopen the strait, through which at least 20% of the world’s oil travels each year.
He mocked foreign leaders who told him they would “rather not get involved” and said “numerous countries” were enthusiastic about the effort. He did not identify those countries by name.
Mr. Trump said French President Emmanuel Macron told him Sunday that France was “going to help,” though Mr. Trump offered no further details. Mr. Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would soon provide a list of countries backing U.S. efforts to reopen the waterway.
Mr. Trump said resistance among some nations to send warships confirmed his belief that some allies would not come to the aid of the U.S. when needed.
“They should be in here very happily helping us,” Mr. Trump said. “I’ve been saying for years that if we ever did need them, they won’t be there.”
The president said Iran seems to want to negotiate a deal to end the war, but he was not sure who was leading the country.
“They’re all dead. We don’t know who we’re dealing with,” Mr. Trump said.
In a social media post Saturday, Mr. Trump called on China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to assist the U.S. Navy in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has kept effectively closed by threatening to strike any Western vessel traveling in the critical waterway.
The closure has kept crude oil prices hovering around $100 a barrel for the past week, putting significant political pressure on the Trump administration as U.S. consumers face gasoline prices approaching $4 a gallon.
International leaders responded coolly Monday to Mr. Trump’s demands. Most offered noncommittal statements, and some issued outright denials.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not officially agree to send any warships to the Persian Gulf, but he said in a news conference that his government was drafting a workable plan to safely reopen the Strait of Hormuz for business. He insisted, however, that Britain would not be “drawn into a wider war.”
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi issued a similar statement in an address to Japanese lawmakers.
“The Japanese government is currently considering how to take the necessary measures,” Ms. Takaichi said. “Of course, this will be within the scope of Japanese law, but we are considering how to protect the lives of Japanese-related vessels and their crews, and what we can do.”
She said she had no plans to send Japanese naval ships to the Middle East to assist in escort missions.
Ms. Takaichi is expected to meet with Mr. Trump in Washington on Thursday. Mr. Rubio spoke with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, by phone Monday to discuss the Iran war.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said his administration was cooperating closely with Washington but made no commitments to the American-led war effort.
He made the comments after the U.S. moved critical air defense batteries from South Korea to the Middle East to bolster operations.
China, one of the largest importers of Iranian oil, has not directly responded to Mr. Trump’s demand.
However, Mr. Trump said Monday afternoon that he had asked Beijing to delay his planned trip to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping by “a month or so” because of the ongoing war in Iran.
Mr. Trump had been expected to travel to Beijing at the end of March for a high-stakes, one-on-one meeting with Mr. Xi to discuss trade and other issues.
When asked during an Oval Office event, the president said he didn’t know whether the trip was still on.
“We’re working on that right now,” Mr. Trump said.
“We’re speaking to China. I’d love to, but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel,” Mr. Trump said. “And so, we’ve requested that we delay it a month or so.”
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier Monday, after rumors of the delay began circulating, that Beijing was still in contact with Washington to coordinate Mr. Trump’s visit.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that if the summit is rescheduled, it will be because Mr. Trump has to monitor the war in Iran, not because of any demands made of China.
Germany issued the strongest rejection.
“This is not our war; we did not start it,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at a press conference.
Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius reiterated that position and confirmed that Germany had no plans to send troops or warships.
Australia also said no. Transport Minister Catherine King told Australian media that the U.S. had not officially asked for support and that Canberra is not prepared to give it.
Mr. Trump’s call for aid Saturday marks the first time the president has strongly signaled a desire to build an international coalition to support the war against Iran.
The White House reportedly did not consult many of its long-standing allies before the war began Feb. 28 and even entered a public feud with Britain over the use of its air bases.
The Trump administration has had a fractious relationship with allies in Europe and Asia during Mr. Trump’s second term. The president and his subordinates frequently attack NATO and its members, as well as others, for not doing enough for their own defense or for enacting left-leaning domestic policies.
Some analysts say the lack of support for Mr. Trump’s plan is the fruit of that treatment.
“I suspect some of that response is a reflection of how they feel they’ve been treated. You know, we kind of know this, that if you want to keep allies, you want to benefit from allies, you have to invest in the relationship,” said Mark Montgomery, executive director at the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.
However, Mr. Montgomery added that several nations that loudly dissented aren’t necessary for the effort to succeed, and that several of the countries with larger navies, such as Britain, South Korea and Japan, may come around.
Mojtaba speaks
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued the second decree of his rule Monday. He insisted that officials appointed by his father, the previous supreme leader, would remain in their positions for the time being.
He urged military and civilian leaders across Iran to continue fulfilling their responsibilities in accordance with the policies and guidelines set by Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Following inquiries from some managers and officials of bodies who were directly appointed by the martyred leader, I hereby announce that none of them need a renewal of their appointment for now,” the statement reads.
The decree, first reported on by Iran International, hints at Mr. Khamenei’s desire to maintain continuity of government as Iran suffers debilitating daily strikes by Israel and the U.S. Many senior Iranian leaders, including Ali Khamenei, were killed in the opening hours of the war.
Mr. Khamenei has not made a public appearance as Iran’s new supreme leader, and some reports suggest he may have been severely injured by U.S. or Israeli airstrikes. Mr. Khamenei was reportedly present when his father was killed.
• Jeff Mordock and Andrew Salmon contributed to this report.
