WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump is continuing to call on European allies to increase their support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said Monday, comparing the initiative to his previous efforts to urge NATO members to boost defense spending.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that European countries benefit directly from ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, and therefore have a stake in stabilizing the strait.
“These countries are absolutely benefiting from ensuring that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon,” Leavitt said. “This is something not just the United States, but the entire Western world has agreed with for many, many years. So I think the president is absolutely right to call on these countries to do more to help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz.”
Leavitt emphasized that nations heavily reliant on energy shipments passing through the strait, such as the United Kingdom, also stand to gain from securing the waterway. She added that Trump had expressed frustration that some allies had not acted sooner to support maritime security.
“The president spoke on that last night. He said that he wished the UK had stepped up sooner and quicker,” she said. “He continues to speak with our allies in Europe, and is calling on them to do more, just as he did when he called on them to step up, with respect to their defense spending in NATO.”
On Sunday, Trump publicly invited China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to join what he described as a “team effort” to ensure the safe passage of ships through the strait by contributing warships to the effort. As of Monday, no country had formally committed to participating in the initiative.
The call comes amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf following joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, which have killed approximately 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel, along with US military assets in Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to regular commercial shipping since early March, disrupting global oil flows and contributing to rising energy prices.
While the US is advocating for allied support to reopen the strategic waterway, European leaders have signaled caution. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated Monday that Britain “will not be drawn into a wider war,” emphasizing that any deployment of troops or warships must be grounded in a legal mandate.
Similarly, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul indicated that Berlin does not currently see a NATO decision assigning responsibility for the strait, and that Germany is prioritizing diplomatic measures over direct military involvement.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. Approximately 20 million barrels of oil transit the strait daily under normal conditions, making it crucial for global energy security. The closure and regional instability have prompted fears of prolonged disruptions to international shipping and heightened volatility in oil markets.
Analysts say that the US push for allied participation reflects a desire to distribute the burden of maritime security, while also demonstrating a united front to deter further Iranian escalation. However, European reluctance highlights the challenges of achieving a coordinated multinational response in a region already facing multiple military and geopolitical flashpoints.
The White House has stressed that Trump’s appeal to allies is part of broader efforts to stabilize the region without immediately escalating US military engagement. Leavitt’s remarks underscore Washington’s view that ensuring freedom of navigation through the strait is in the strategic and economic interest of both the United States and its European partners.
