Trump says US does not ‘need’ Strait of Hormuz help, despite appeal

President Trump said the US does not need allied support to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping chokepoint, after failing to build an international coalition for the mission. The defiant statement came as multiple allies rejected joining a US-led effort to protect the waterway, through which roughly a third of global maritime oil trade passes. Trump did not identify which countries he claimed were already "on their way" to participate, undercutting his assertion of broad backing. The Strait of Hormuz is strategically vital to global energy security, and US control of it has long been a cornerstone of Middle Eastern policy. Trump's unilateral posture signals a shift toward independent action rather than coalition-building on a key geopolitical priority.