President Donald Trump stated he aims to maintain the Strait of Hormuz’s openness, calling it an “honor” to do so to assist other countries dependent on this critical Middle Eastern waterway.
Trump was addressing reporters in Florida on Monday when questioned about the global energy bottleneck, which has faced disruptions due to ongoing attacks between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Measuring approximately 21 miles wide at its narrowest, the Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman and transports around 20 million barrels of oil daily plus roughly one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas—making it a high-priority target during regional conflicts.
“We’re truly aiding China and other nations here since they source much of their energy from the strait,” Trump remarked. “Our relationship with China is strong. It’s my honor to take this on.”
Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. As he highlighted the U.S.’s new energy partnership with Venezuela, he pointed out that China receives its oil via the strait.
“I’m saying we’re doing this for other parts of the globe, including nations like China,” he stated. “They obtain much of their oil through the strait.”
“We have an excellent relationship with President Xi Jinping and China,” he added. “I’ll be traveling there soon, and we’re defending the world from what these fanatics are attempting—and doing so very successfully, I might note.”
Trump also announced the U.S. will lift all oil-related sanctions on certain countries to help lower energy prices during the Middle East conflict.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps went on state TV and pledged it would “not permit the export of a single liter of oil.”
Subsequently, Trump restated his stance on the strait in a heated Truth Social post.
“If Iran takes any action to block oil flow in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will strike them TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they’ve been hit before. What’s more, we’ll target easily destroyable sites that will make it nearly impossible for Iran to ever rebuild as a nation—Death, Fire, and Fury will be unleashed on them—but I hope and pray this doesn’t come to pass!,” he wrote.
“This is a gift from the United States to China and all nations that rely heavily on the Strait of Hormuz. I hope this gesture is deeply appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this issue!”