Trump is escalating pressure on both NATO and China, demanding they help break the Iranian threat to global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump warned that NATO could face a “very bad future” if European allies do not help the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a new Financial Times interview published on March 15, 2026. He argued that countries benefiting from the waterway should do “whatever it takes” to make sure shipping can move freely again.
Trump said it is only appropriate that countries dependent on Gulf energy supplies help secure the strait, and the FT reported that he specifically pressed for allied military help, including European naval assets. He also signaled pressure on China, suggesting his planned late-March trip to Beijing could be postponed if China does not help protect freedom of navigation there.
NEWSRAEL: WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
Trump is signaling that the Iran war and the Hormuz crisis could reshape America’s ties with NATO, increase pressure on Europe to take direct military action, and force China to choose between protecting its oil lifeline and avoiding entanglement in a US-led campaign.
