A report indicates that the Trump administration is pressing ahead with plans to assemble a coalition of countries to help escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that has become the center of a growing energy and security crisis after Iran effectively disrupted traffic through the passage in retaliation for the airstrikes launched by the U.S. and Israel.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that U.S. officials and President Donald Trump have framed the proposed effort as an international mission to protect global trade, not just an American operation, arguing that countries heavily dependent on Gulf oil should share the burden. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.
Roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas moves through it, making any disruption there immediately consequential for fuel prices, shipping markets, and broader economic stability. The current crisis has already sharply reduced Middle East exports, with Reuters reporting that oil exports from the region have fallen by at least 60% as the strait remains mostly closed.
Trump has publicly called on countries including China, Japan, South Korea, Britain and France to contribute to a protective maritime mission. He also warned NATO allies that the alliance faces a "very bad" future if they refuse to help reopen the strait, while also arguing that nations benefiting most from the trade route should commit military support, such as minesweepers and air defenses. The Associated Press similarly reported that the administration is seeking warships and other contributions from Asian and European partners to secure the passage.
But the effort is already running into resistance. The Japanese government said Monday it is not currently planning an escort mission, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi saying Tokyo is still studying what independent steps it might take under its legal and constitutional constraints. AP also reported that Britain, Germany, and Italy have expressed reluctance, while Reuters said France has focused its message on restoring freedom of navigation without fully embracing a U.S.-led military coalition.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media in Persian that he "spoke with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian," where he reportedly asked him "to immediately put an end to the unacceptable attacks that Iran is carrying out, whether directly or through proxy groups, including in Lebanon and Iraq, against countries in the region."
من چندی پیش با رئیس جمهور اسلامی ایران، مسعود پزشکیان، صحبت کردم.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 15, 2026
از او خواستم فوراً به حملات غیرقابلقبولی که ایران، چه بهطور مستقیم و چه از طریق گروههای نیابتی، از جمله در لبنان و عراق، علیه کشورهای منطقه انجام میدهد، پایان دهد. به او یادآوری کردم که فرانسه در چارچوبی…
That hesitation reflects more than military caution. Many allies view the current Hormuz crisis as tied directly to the wider U.S.-Iran conflict and are wary of being drawn deeper into a confrontation they did not initiate. AP reported that several governments have resisted Trump's framing of the mission as a shared obligation, instead favoring diplomacy, defensive postures, or limited technical support over sending warships into a highly volatile theater.
The administration has argued that a convoy or escort arrangement is necessary because commercial vessels face threats from mines, drones, and attacks linked to Iran. Reuters reported Trump's claim that U.S. forces have already destroyed more than 30 mine-laying vessels, though that specific battlefield assertion has not been independently verified in the Reuters dispatch.
