Washington, March 21 – President Donald Trump urged US allies and major global economies to take responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz, while firmly rejecting calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing Iran conflict.
“The United States doesn’t use the Strait; we don’t need it…Europe needs it, Korea, Japan, China, and many others, so they will have to get involved,” Trump told reporters, framing the vital oil route as a shared international responsibility.
The president said reopening the strait would be “a simple military maneuver,” but acknowledged that it would require coordination and scale. “It’s relatively safe, but you need a lot of support…you need ships, you need volume,” he said, adding that NATO had “so far lacked the courage” to act.
Trump also called out key partners in the Indo-Pacific. “They should get involved,” he said of countries such as South Korea and Australia, adding that he was “very surprised” by their reluctance.
At the same time, Trump made clear that the United States would not pause its military campaign, despite growing international calls for de-escalation.
“You don’t declare a ceasefire when you’re literally destroying the other side…We’re not looking to do that,” he said.
He described Iran’s military as severely weakened. “They don’t have a navy, they don’t have an air force…they don’t have anti-aircraft capabilities…their leaders have all been killed at every level,” Trump said, underscoring his view that the campaign is nearing its objectives.
Trump also pushed back on concerns over economic fallout, including rising oil prices and market volatility.
“We’re not giving a nuclear weapon to terrorist thugs, and we’re effectively neutralizing them,” he said, adding that he had expected oil prices to rise more sharply than they have.
The president said the operation was progressing faster than anticipated. “I think we’re weeks ahead of schedule,” he said.