Trump says Gulf countries should protect Strait of Hormuz

US president Donald Trump said countries around the Strait of Hormuz should protect the waterway themselves.

“Really, I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory,” he said. “They should help us. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't be there at all, because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil.”

Trump on Strait of Hormuz: "Really, I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory ... they should help us. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't be there at all, because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil." pic.twitter.com/y97MflXvLs

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 16, 2026