International

World leaders bypass Trump to tackle Strait of Hormuz crisis

Comments:

by Laura Kelly - 04/04/26 6:00 AM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Laura Kelly - 04/04/26 6:00 AM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Countries heavily reliant on the energy exports from the Strait of Hormuz are troubleshooting plans to reopen the critical maritime trade route amid the chaos and uncertainty around the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.

The United Kingdom convened 41 countries on Thursday to discuss plans to reopen the Strait, pinning the blame on Iran for holding the global economy “hostage” by hijacking the international shipping route.

While not publicly addressed at the meeting, allies are deeply frustrated with Trump, who launched the operation in Iran on Feb. 28 without a plan to keep the Strait open, and without consulting the countries he is now telling to take charge of resolving the crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a hard line against the U.S. war against Iran, rejecting Trump’s pleas to European nations to join offensive operations to open the Strait.

“They cannot then complain about not being supported in an operation they decided on their own. It is not our operation,” Macron told reporters on Thursday, on the sidelines of his visit to South Korea.

Macron was responding to a question about Trump’s announcement on April 1 that he was preparing for major strikes against Iran. The U.S. president on Thursday said the U.S. has Iran’s bridges and electricity plants on a target list.

At the United Nations, Bahrain has authored a United Nations Security Council Resolution to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait, but is facing opposition from veto-wielding China, Reuters reported. The resolution is expected to go to a vote next week.

Trump has lashed out against European nations who have rebuffed his requests for assistance, ranging from the petty — taking personal jabs at Macron’s marriage — to the existential, threatening to withdraw the U.S. from NATO.

European leaders and other nations reliant on energy exports from the Gulf are confronting the reality that they must develop action plans in the face of uncertainty around how long the Iran war will continue, and what Trump’s exit strategy might look like.

Trump has given wildly contradicting statements over the past few days on the Strait of Hormuz. On April 1, in his primetime address to the nation, he said “countries of the world” most reliant on energy exports from the Gulf must take the lead on opening up the passage.

“They must grab it and cherish it. They can do it easily. We will be helpful,” he added.

In the same speech, he said the passage would “open up naturally” when the fighting ended.

On Friday, Trump said that with more time, the U.S. could open the strait, “TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A ⁠FORTUNE,” in a post on his social media site Truth Social.

Iran has succeeded in effectively closing the Strait by carrying out missile and drone attacks on some ships, threatening further attacks, and potentially mining the waterway. Tehran has allowed a few dozen ships from friendly nations through upon request, but that does little to relieve the major economic and humanitarian shocks rippling across the globe.

And Iran is strengthening its control over the waterway, demanding as part of any ceasefire deal to be recognized as the sovereign authority over the passage. Its parliament on Thursday approved a plan to collect tolls on vessels traveling through the Strait, although it said it would require approval from neighboring states.

Bloomberg reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is exercising control over the strait, imposing demands on ships currently stuck in the passage for them to pass through. If a ship can confirm it has no links to the U.S. or Israel, the IRGC begins conversations about a toll amount, with preferential treatment for countries deemed friendly to Tehran.

Starting prices for oil tankers can be $1 per barrel, with some tankers carrying up to 2 million barrels, and payments made in Chinese Yuan or cryptocurrency, Bloomberg reported.

The U.K.-hosted summit rejected Iran’s tolls on transiting ships. The summit participants agreed on four action items to combat Iran’s control of the waterway.

This includes diplomatic pressure on Iran to permit free passage through the Strait and “explore” the options of sanctions to punish Iran if it keeps the Strait closed. The countries also discussed greater cooperation with shipping operators to support “operational confidence” and using the International Maritime Organization to “secure the release” of thousands of ships and sailors trapped in the Strait.

Meanwhile, foreign governments are rationing oil and gas amid the halt in transit and confronting how the Strait’s blockage impacts the world’s food supplies. Among the knock-on effects include farmers needing to ration fuel to power their equipment, and grappling with