Trump’s push for allied warships in Hormuz meets muted response

China and US allies have so far remained cautious, with some rejecting the idea outright and others saying they need more time to assess the situation, and none has publicly agreed to send warships to protect the Strait of Hormuz as requested by President Donald Trump. AP reported on Sunday, March 15, 2026, that Trump’s appeal had brought “no promises” from the countries he named.

Trump posted on Truth Social calling on China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and other countries to send warships to help escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to choke traffic through the strategically vital waterway. The strait normally carries about one-fifth of global oil exports.

However, no country has yet publicly endorsed Trump’s request. According to AP, Britain said Prime Minister Keir Starmer had discussed with Trump the importance of reopening the strait, but stopped short of making any commitment to send ships.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Britain was working with allies on “a range of options” to support commercial shipping through the strait as the threat picture developed. Reuters reported that London was also focused on freedom of navigation and shipping insurance cover as tensions mounted.

A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington said that “all parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply” and that Beijing would strengthen communication with relevant parties in support of de-escalation. That response fell short of any public pledge to deploy naval forces.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry likewise avoided any commitment, saying it “takes note” of Trump’s call and would “closely coordinate and carefully review” the situation with the United States.

Japan has also not publicly committed to sending warships. Reporting on March 15 indicated that Tokyo was maintaining a cautious position and setting a very high bar for any such deployment, while weighing its own response independently.

France has not publicly agreed to dispatch warships either. Reuters reported that Paris has been seeking to assemble a coalition to secure the strait only once the security situation stabilises, while EU officials said ministers were not expected to decide immediately on extending the bloc’s naval mission to the Strait of Hormuz.

Taken together, the responses show broad concern over energy security and freedom of navigation, but no clear public alignment yet with Trump’s request for an immediate multinational naval deployment.