President Donald Trump on Wednesday signaled a potential seismic shift in American foreign policy, questioning why the United States continues to shoulder the burden of policing the Strait of Hormuz for nations that refuse to support its strategic objectives.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?’” Trump wrote. “That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!”
The president’s comments highlight a glaring disparity: while the U.S. Navy has historically secured the waterway, the primary beneficiaries are Asian and European powers. China leads the pack, importing 38% of the oil transiting the strait, followed by India (15%), Japan (90% of its total crude), and South Korea. Meanwhile, Middle Eastern exporters like Kuwait and Qatar remain entirely or heavily dependent on the passage.
Despite this reliance, several European allies have refused to assist the United States in the current regional conflict. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated definitively, “We will not do so,” while Spain has gone as far as blocking American forces from using its bases for operations against Tehran. Italy and Greece have similarly declined military participation.
French President Emmanuel Macron has been particularly defiant. After the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iranian targets in late February, Macron labeled the actions “outside the framework of international law.” On Tuesday, he doubled down, declaring France is “not a party to the conflict… will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context.” While Macron deployed the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the region, he insists it is for a “European-led” mission independent of Washington’s command.
Even the United Kingdom has hesitated, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer stating the UK will not be drawn into “the wider war.” Only Poland and the Baltic states have offered firm political backing, citing Iran’s military ties to Russia.
This lack of cooperation has forced regional exporters to scramble for alternatives. Saudi Arabia has boosted its East-West Pipeline capacity to 7 million barrels per day (bpd), though effective export capacity at the Red Sea port of Yanbu remains capped at 3–4 million bpd. The UAE’s ADCOP pipeline to Fujairah is running at a maximum of 1.8 million bpd but has faced drone threats. Iraq, which recently signed a deal to resume exports through Turkey at a modest 250,000 bpd, remains largely paralyzed.
With 20 million barrels per day typically transiting the strait, the current bypasses are woefully insufficient. Trump’s message is clear: if the nations most dependent on this oil — and the “allies” who benefit from U.S. protection — refuse to stand with America against the “Iranian Terror State,” they may soon find themselves responsible for their own security in the world’s most dangerous chokepoint.
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