Trump cites US troop levels in South Korea, presses South Korea, Japan, China and Europe to join Hormuz operation

[The Financial News] On the 16th (local time), United States of America (USA) President Donald John Trump strongly urged major crude oil importers such as South Korea, China and Japan to take direct responsibility for securing the safety of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for oil tankers near the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During a meeting at The White House in Washington, D.C., with the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Trump stressed that US forces have long "protected" this strait for the benefit of allies. He then noted that the United States has never demanded "compensation" for the cost of keeping the waterway open, ratcheting up pressure on allies to join a maritime escort mission.
He also underscored the security protection the United States has provided to its allies, signaling an apparent intent to test their willingness to contribute. Without naming specific countries, he remarked, "There are countries where we have 45,000 fine troops deployed to protect them from outside threats."
Given that Trump has previously referred to South Korea as an ally hosting "more than 40,000" US troops, his comment is widely interpreted as effectively aimed at South Korea. The current size of United States Forces Korea (USFK) is about 28,500 personnel.
He added, "We are the strongest country in the world and we do not need anybody, but I want to see how they respond," emphasizing that the allies' "enthusiasm" is very important to him.
Concerns are mounting over a sharp rise in global oil prices amid the Islamic Republic of Iran’s de facto closure of the strait. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Trump stated, "We strongly encourage the participation of countries that are far more economically dependent on this strait than we are," pointing out that "the United States gets less than 1% of its oil from there, while other countries get far more."
He explained that about 35% of South Korea’s crude oil imports, and roughly 95% and 90% of those of Japan and China respectively, pass through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that European countries also receive a "substantial" amount of their supplies via this route.
He went on to say, "I want them to come and help secure the strait."

jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter