By Ayomide Otitoju
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that member states are deliberating on the “best way” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments.
“I have been in contact with many allies. We all agree, of course, that the strait has to open up again. And what I know is that allies are working together, discussing how to do that, what is the best way to do it,” Rutte told reporters during a visit to a NATO exercise in northern Norway. “They are working on that collectively, to find a way forward.”
The comments come as US President Donald Trump has called on other world powers to dispatch warships to escort tanker convoys through the strait, which carries a substantial portion of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Tensions escalated after Iran effectively closed the strait following a US-Israel military campaign against Tehran last month, triggering a more than 40 percent surge in global oil prices.
Trump, who has frequently criticised NATO, warned Tuesday that the alliance was making “a very foolish mistake” by not providing assistance. “I’ve long said that I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So this was a great test,” he told reporters.
When asked about reconsidering the US relationship with NATO, as he has suggested previously, Trump replied: “It’s certainly something that we should think about,” but added, “I have nothing currently in mind.”
The situation highlights growing international concern over the Strait of Hormuz and underscores the strategic importance of coordination between NATO allies and the United States to secure a vital route for global energy supplies.
