Trump urges allies to ‘go to the Strait of Hormuz and just take it’

The US president made the appeal in his first address to the nation since ordering airstrikes in Iran

US President Donald Trump has urged countries that buy oil from the Middle East to unblock the Strait of Hormuz by force unless Iran reopens the vital shipping route to all vessels.

He made the appeal in his first address to the nation on Wednesday, after weeks of chastising NATO members for refusing to send warships to the region and join the US and Israel in their war efforts.

“To those countries that can’t get fuel, many of which refuse to get involved in the decapitation of Iran… build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it,” Trump said. He argued that securing the strait would be easy, saying the US had “decimated” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and “dramatically curtailed” its drone and missile capabilities.

In his address, Trump vowed to intensify airstrikes over the next two to three weeks, suggesting the war would continue if Iran refuses to accept his demands.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has triggered a global energy shock that Washington has struggled to contain, sending oil prices surging and pushing fuel costs sharply higher for consumers worldwide. The conflict has effectively choked flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply.

Global crude prices have spiked above $100 a barrel, with Brent rising more than 60% in March to around $118 and US West Texas Intermediate climbing past $100, marking the steepest monthly gains in decades. US consumers were also hit as average gas prices rose above $4 a gallon this week for the first time since 2022.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said messages from US envoy Steve Witkoff were relayed via intermediaries and did not constitute direct talks, according to Al Jazeera.

The conflict, launched as Operation Epic Fury, has defied Washington’s initial projections of a short, decisive campaign, evolving instead into a protracted confrontation. The initial strike, which killed senior Iranian leadership, was designed to trigger a swift collapse, but Iran's doctrine of pre-designated successors and its institutional resilience allowed its leadership to endure and retaliate.