President Donald Trump has called on South Korea and four other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
"China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and other countries, affected by artificial restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, should send ships to the region," Trump said in two consecutive posts on Truth Social on Wednesday local time.
"Countries that receive oil through the strait must manage it, and the United States will provide significant assistance," he added.
"The United States will work with these countries to ensure all of this proceeds quickly, smoothly and successfully," Trump said. "This should have been a team effort from the beginning, and now it will be."
He emphasized that "this will unite the world and bring harmony, security and lasting peace."
The demand appears aimed at having countries that receive oil and liquefied natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz—including South Korea, China and Japan—dispatch warships to escort energy tankers.
Trump previously pledged that the U.S. Navy would escort energy vessels through the strait. However, industry experts noted that with limited U.S. warships available, only about 10% of normal tanker traffic could pass through even with escorts. This led to Trump's request to allies and China.
This marks the first time Trump has explicitly asked third countries other than Israel to participate in military operations against Iran during the conflict.
"In the meantime, the United States will bomb the coast (of Iran) and continue to sink Iranian ships and vessels at sea," Trump said. "One way or another, we will soon make the Strait of Hormuz open, safe and free."
The statement suggests that while U.S. forces conduct airstrikes against Iran to break the Hormuz blockade, major countries affected by oil import disruptions—including South Korea—should send warships for missions such as escorting commercial vessels.
Trump said the previous day that U.S. Navy escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz would begin "very soon."
By calling for other countries including South Korea to deploy warships and manage the strait while stating the U.S. would "help," Trump appeared to signal his intention to have other nations take the lead on Hormuz escort operations—which carry significant risks of U.S. casualties—enabling an earlier start.
While the United States does use some oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, its reliance is minimal compared to South Korea, China and Japan.
Trump's reference to "countries around the world that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz" is interpreted as meaning nations with substantial crude oil imports from the Middle East, including South Korea, should take primary responsibility for managing commercial shipping through the strait, with the U.S. providing support.
Of the five countries Trump named, four—excluding China—are U.S. allies.
If the U.S. government makes a more formal request, the South Korean government will face a difficult decision. It must weigh energy security needs related to the Strait of Hormuz, the Korea-U.S. alliance and bilateral relations, as well as risks that could arise from military involvement in a Middle East conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron said during a visit to Cyprus on May 9 that regarding the Strait of Hormuz situation, "a defensive escort mission is being established, and this must be prepared jointly by European and non-European countries."
French officials said their government is pursuing efforts to form a coalition to secure stability in the Strait of Hormuz once the security situation stabilizes, Reuters reported.
A British Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday: "We are currently discussing various options with our allies and partners to ensure the safety of shipping in the region."