Trump says Arab nations must help secure Strait of Hormuz, cites US energy independence

2026-03-15 - 21:42

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Arab countries would need to join the fight to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, arguing that nations dependent on oil flowing through the waterway bore responsibility for securing it. "We don't get anything from the straits," Trump told Israeli Channel 14, citing US energy independence as the reason Washington should not bear the burden alone, adding that other countries "will have to join." Call for regional participation Countries receiving oil through the strait "must actively participate in the fighting and defense," he said, pledging that the US would remain present to assist. Trump also said the military operation against Iran is "progressing wonderfully," reiterating his confidence in the campaign's trajectory. The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since early March following Iranian retaliatory strikes, with around 20 million barrels of oil passing through the waterway daily normally, and its disruption has pushed global oil prices above $100 per barrel. US-Israel relations Trump pushed back against reports suggesting a rift between Washington and Tel Aviv over the latter striking Iranian energy facilities, calling it "one big mistake, a complete lie" and dismissing it as "third-grade level fake news." He insisted relations between the two countries had "never been better." However, the US president reserved harsh criticism for Israeli President Isaac Herzog, calling him "a weak and useless person" and accusing him of using Netanyahu's presidential pardon request for political leverage. "I support Bibi," he said, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is involved in a long-running domestic corruption trial in Israel. Conflict context The US-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed around 1,200 people, according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolgirls. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US assets, while also closing the Strait of Hormuz to normal traffic.