President Donald Trump said the United States intends to keep the Strait of Hormuz open despite rising tensions in the Middle East, calling it an “honor” to protect the vital global energy route.
Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump explained that maintaining open shipping lanes benefits not just the United States but many other nations that rely heavily on the waterway for oil and natural gas shipments.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the most important energy corridors in the world. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil pass through the narrow passage every day, along with a large share of the world’s liquefied natural gas.
Trump noted that even countries like China depend heavily on the route for energy supplies.
“We’re really helping China here and other countries because they get a lot of their energy from the straits,” Trump said, adding that the United States maintains a good relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The president is expected to meet with Xi later this month.
Trump also highlighted that the U.S. is acting to maintain global stability, arguing that keeping the strait open helps prevent major disruptions to the world economy.
However, he also delivered a strong warning to Iran.
In a statement posted online, Trump said that if Iran attempts to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would respond with overwhelming force.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote.
He added that the United States could target strategic sites that would make it extremely difficult for Iran to rebuild if such an attack on global shipping occurred.
Trump also said his administration is considering steps to help stabilize energy markets, including temporarily waiving some oil-related sanctions to ensure global supply continues to flow during the conflict in the Middle East.
The president emphasized that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is about protecting the global economy and preventing a major energy crisis.
According to Trump, the United States is acting not only in its own interest but to ensure the world’s energy lifeline remains secure.
