The Donald Trump administration is reportedly hoping Canada, Australia, Germany, and Gulf countries will also join a multinational coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the U.S. online outlet Axios on the 17th local time, the countries the Trump administration wants to join the so-called "Hormuz coalition" include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, Jordan, and Gulf countries, in addition to Korea and Japan.
On the 14th, President Trump said on social media (SNS) that he wanted to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz, directly mentioning five countries: Korea, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France. A day later, on the 15th, he said he was asking about seven countries to participate, without naming additional countries.
Even if President Trump did not mention them by name, Germany, Canada, Italy, Australia, Jordan, and the Gulf states are among the countries the Trump administration had in mind as it conceived the Hormuz coalition.
The Trump administration's plan is for countries in the Hormuz coalition to conduct merchant ship escort operations in the virtually blockaded Strait of Hormuz by dispatching warships and mobilizing military asset. Axios reported that, for now, the focus is on having each country declare the political will to form the Hormuz coalition, with decisions on which country will send what and when to be made later.
Contrary to the Trump administration's expectations, some countries have already shown a cool response. Germany drew a line, saying, "It's not our war." Australia said it had not received a request from the United States and flatly dismissed the idea of sending warships.
Some countries are effectively opposed or on hold. Axios reported that French President Emmanuel Macron did not give a definite answer in a call with President Trump, quoting a source as saying, "It was not a final rejection, but at that point it was effectively a rejection." Italy called it "clearly a challenging issue" but stopped short of a firm answer.
The Blue House said it is an issue that should be decided "after sufficient time and sufficient discussions between Korea and the United States," taking a cautious stance. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is visiting the White House this week, and Trump may press her in person to dispatch warships.
President Trump is concerned that the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will keep oil prices rising, prolonging a war with Iran and increasing the political damage. This is why he is pressing countries daily to join the Hormuz coalition, including dispatching warships.