Washington. There is hardly any country on which US President Donald Trump has not tried to threaten it on the pretext of imposing tariffs. Now this same Trump is requesting help from these countries. They want a cooperation that will come together to open the Strait of Hormuz. According to the latest developments, President Trump may soon formally announce an international grouping in which the participating countries will deploy their warships to ensure the safe movement of commercial ships through this narrow sea route. However, till now no country has officially expressed its consent regarding this scheme.
In particular, Australia has completely rejected the possibility of sending its warships in this campaign. Quoting senior officials of the US administration, there are indications that the White House may announce this alliance by the end of this week, but the situation is not yet clear as to when this mission will actually come to fruition. At present, Iran has allegedly blocked this sea route using sea-mines and small ships, due to which the pressure on the global oil market is continuously increasing. President Trump has taken a tough stance on the issue, making it clear that the US does not personally need this route as much as the countries that depend on it for their energy supplies. He stressed that America has been protecting the region for years and now the time has come for other countries to also understand their responsibility.
Trump also took a dig at the British Prime Minister’s previous attitude, saying that allies were hesitant when help was needed most. He bluntly said that he needed support not after winning the war, but before the challenges began. He has urged countries like China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain through social media to send their ships to secure their oil supplies, while the US will continue its military action along the coastline. It is being told that these countries have told the US to deal with it itself.
Meanwhile, Australia has increased America’s problems a bit by staying away from this mission. Australian cabinet member Catherine King clarified in an interview that her country would not send its ship to the Strait of Hormuz. He acknowledged that the sector is important for global trade, but Australia is not contributing to it. Many other allied countries have also adopted a evasive attitude towards this appeal.
The importance of the Strait of Hormuz can be gauged from the fact that it is the only narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, through which about 20 percent of the world’s total energy trade passes. This route is even more sensitive for countries like India because about 60 percent of its crude oil comes through this route. The future of exports of major oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and UAE depends on the security of this strait.
