Can US President Trump Secure Strait Of Hormuz With Global Show Of Force Against Iran?

Last Updated:March 15, 2026, 13:21 IST

US-Israel-Iran war: Trump wants other countries to join forces with US to secure Strait of Hormuz. What will he need to execute the plan? How is Iran fighting back? News18 explains

US President Donald Trump is pursuing a multi-national strategy to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following its virtual closure during the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran.

What is it? Which countries may join in? How is Iran fighting back and protecting the Strait of Hormuz? News18 explains

What Donald Trump said about Strait of Hormuz and other countries’ support

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said several countries could join the United States in sending naval forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iran attempted to disrupt shipping through the critical oil route.

“Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," Trump wrote. “The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — ⁠A LOT!…The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well."

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He named the countries he expects could participate in the naval effort, such as China, France, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom.

Trump said these countries are heavily affected by disruptions in the strait and therefore have a strong interest in ensuring maritime security in the region.

He also warned that despite what he described as the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities, Tehran could still attempt to disrupt shipping through drones, sea mines or short-range missile attacks along the narrow waterway.

None of those countries gave any immediate indication they would do so.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran would respond to any attack on its energy facilities.

What is Strait of Hormuz?

The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint, serving as the sole sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. It separates Iran to the north from Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south. Due to its narrowness and various islands/reefs, commercial traffic is confined to a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) consisting of two-mile-wide inbound and outbound lanes, separated by a two-mile buffer zone.

The strait is often described as the “heart" of the global energy market. Roughly 20–25% of the world’s total seaborne oil trade passes through the strait daily—approximately 20–21 million barrels. It carries about 20% of global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), including nearly all exports from Qatar.Over 80% of the oil transiting the strait is destined for Asian markets, with China, India, Japan, and South Korea being the primary importers.

How is Iran protecting Strait of Hormuz?

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they had carried out missile and drone strikes on targets in Israel and three US bases in the region, calling the attacks the first round of retaliation for workers killed in Iran’s industrial areas. The Israeli military said it was intercepting incoming launches.

Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed 10 drones in Riyadh and the east, the defense ministry said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they no had connection to the attack, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iran is protecting its interests in the Strait of Hormuz through a combination of asymmetric military tactics and a “selective blockade" strategy. While Iranian officials claim the waterway remains “open," they have effectively halted traffic for “enemy" nations— specifically the United States and Israel — while allowing passage for others, such as China and Russia, often requiring prior coordination, according to the Sunday Guardian and other news reports.

Iran has shifted from a total blockade to a model of “selective passage" to maintain strategic leverage while avoiding a global coalition against it. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has stated that all ships must coordinate with the Iranian Navy to pass through the strait safely. Selective exemptions have been granted to countries like India, which saw LPG tankers pass safely on March 14, and Turkey.

Ships linked to the US, Israel, or their allies are explicitly barred. Iranian officials have warned these vessels will be “set ablaze" if they attempt transit.

Asymmetric military tactics

Despite suffering significant losses to its conventional navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy employs low-cost, high-impact methods to control the 21-mile-wide chokepoint:

• Iran uses small, remote-controlled explosive skiffs, often disguised as wooden fishing vessels to evade radar. These have been used to strike at least six vessels in March alone.
• US intelligence reports that Iran has begun planting a “gauntlet" of naval mines—including sophisticated magnetic and sound-sensor models—to deter military escorts.
• Mobile anti-ship missile batteries and drones are hidden along Iran’s long, rugged coastline, making them difficult for US-Israeli airstrikes to fully eliminate.
• Over 1,000 ships in the region have reported signal jamming and spoofing, which complicates navigation and forces vessels to rely on Iranian guidance.

The insurance-driven shutdown

One of Iran’s most effective “protection" tools is not a weapon, but the manipulation of global markets. By broadcasting threats over maritime emergency channels, Iran has triggered an insurance-driven closure. Most major insurers have cancelled war-risk policies for the strait, making it economically impossible for many commercial firms to transit even if they are not “enemies" of Iran. This strategy has reduced commercial traffic by over 97% since the start of the conflict on February 28, 2026.

Trump’s proposed strategy

Trump has called for a “team effort" where nations most affected by the closure deploy their own warships to patrol the waterway. Trump stated the US will assist by coordinating efforts, bombing the Iranian shoreline, and “continually shooting Iranian boats and ships out of the water". The administration has pledged that US Naval vessels will begin escorting oil tankers “very soon" to provide physical security for commercial traffic.

Military Requirements

Experts and naval officers indicate that securing the 21-mile-wide strait against Iran’s asymmetric capabilities is a tough task.

A Wall Street Journal assessment and other reports highlighted what would be needed for it:

Air Superiority: Requires at least a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones patrolling the coast to strike mobile missile and drone launchers as they appear.

Escort Ratios: Effective defense against Iran’s “mosquito fleet" of fast-attack boats may require two warships per tanker, or roughly a dozen ships to guard a single convoy of 5–10 tankers.

Ground Options: A more expansive (and risky) option involves seizing a swath of southern Iran to physically prevent launches, which would require thousands of U.S. Marines and months of operations.

Risk of a Kill Box: US Navy officers have warned that the narrow strait could become a ‘kill box’ where even advanced warships are vulnerable to Iran’s mobile anti-ship cruise missiles.

The challenges

Japan’s policy chief stated the legal threshold for sending warships is “extremely high", and France has denied reports that its ships are currently heading to the region.

Shipping giants like Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have largely stopped accepting cargo for the region. Industry experts suggest only a ceasefire or complete end to hostilities would persuade insurers to cover transits again.

The disruption has already driven oil prices to their highest levels since 2024, leading the administration to consider emergency measures like releasing strategic reserves or easing sanctions on Russian oil to stabilise costs.

With agency inputs

News explainers Can US President Trump Secure Strait Of Hormuz With Global Show Of Force Against Iran?

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