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Trump's call for deploying ships in the Strait of Hormuz/ What were the reactions of US allies?

2026-03-15 19:02:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Trump's call for deploying ships in the Strait of Hormuz/ What were the

US President Donald Trump has called on countries affected by the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to send military ships to the key oil passage.

Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that several countries would work with the US to deploy warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and safe, saying he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others would join.

It is reported that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will begin a four-day trip to the US on Wednesday. While there is no response from Japan yet regarding Trump's call, the issue of Japan sending ships to Hormuz could be discussed during this visit to the US.

Japanese government sources told Japanese broadcaster NHK that Trump's tweet suggested Takaichi could be asked directly to cooperate, but Japan would have to weigh any response against legal constraints. Foreign Ministry sources said Japan makes its own decisions and would not send ships just because Trump has asked for it.

Takayuki Kobayashi, chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's policy research council, said: "From a legal point of view, the possibility cannot be ruled out, but since the dispute is ongoing, this is something we need to judge carefully."

South Korea , heavily dependent on energy flows through the strait, said it had taken note of Trump's comments but would communicate with the US and review the situation before making any decisions on how to help secure the shipping lane.

The UK Ministry of Defence said it was in discussions with allies on a range of options to ensure the security of maritime transport in the region.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK had been in discussions with the US and other allies about how to keep the strait open and was considering sending in mine-hunting drones.

"Every option that could help reopen the strait is being considered ," Miliband said.

France had made its position clear before Trump's comments. French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin said France would not send warships to the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict continued to escalate.

“I am very clear and firm on this subject; at this point, there is no question of sending any ship to the Strait of Hormuz ,” Vautrin said. She said France maintained a “purely defensive position” and had no current plans to move the French navy’s flagship, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, out of the eastern Mediterranean.

EU foreign ministers are also considering expanding the scope of the EU naval mission Aspides, which provides protection for ships in Yemen from attacks by Houthi rebels, to include the Strait of Hormuz. The Aspides naval mission currently consists of three ships, from France, Italy and Greece.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Sunday that he was skeptical about a possible expansion of the operation to the Strait of Hormuz.

China , meanwhile, as an ally of Iran that is also heavily dependent on crude oil imports from the strait, is said to be in talks with the Iranian regime to allow oil tankers to pass through the Gulf, but no final result has been reached. /CNA