President Donald Trump said he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and said it would be an “honor” to do so in an effort to help other countries dependent on the vital waterway in the Middle East.
Trump spoke to reporters in Florida on Monday when asked about the global energy bottleneck, which has been disrupted by back-and-forth attacks between Iran, Israel and the United States.
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People mourn the slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday in Isfahan, Iran. (Payman Shahsanaei/ISNA via AP)
The Strait of Hormuz is approximately 34 kilometers wide at its narrowest point and lies between Iran and Oman. The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20 million barrels per day and about a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas, making it a prime target if conflict erupts in the region.
“We’re really helping China here and other countries because they get a lot of their energy from the Strait,” Trump said. “We have a good relationship with China. It is my honor to do that.”
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A screenshot of a maritime traffic terminal showing ships in the Strait of Hormuz on March 4. (Kpler/Maritime traffic)
Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this month. While touting the United States’ new energy partnership with Venezuela, Trump noted that China is getting its oil through the strait.
“I mean, we’re doing this for the other parts of the world, including countries like China,” he said. “They get a lot of their oil through the straits.”
“We have a very good relationship with President XI (Jinping) and China,” he added. “I’ll get there in a little while and we’ll protect the world from what these lunatics are trying to do, and with great success, I might add.”
President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on October 30, 2025 in Busan, South Korea. Trump said he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East open to countries including China. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The US will also waive all oil-related sanctions on some countries in an effort to lower energy prices amid the conflict in the Middle East, Trump said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps went to Iranian state television and promised that they “would not allow this.” [the] export of one liter of oil.”
Later, Trump reaffirmed his position on the strait in a fiery Truth Social post.
“If Iran does anything to stop the flow of oil in the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit TWENTY TIMES HARDER by the United States of America than they have been hit to date. Furthermore, we will take out easily destructible targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be rebuilt as a nation again – Death, Fire and Rage will rule them – But I hope and pray that doesn’t happen!” he wrote.
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“This is a gift from the United States of America to China and all those countries that use the Strait of Hormuz intensively. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
