Donald Trump does not believe the United States would need much assistance in ensuring free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, citing the peace agreement with Iran. However, the US president acknowledged that having a ship or two from allied nations stationed in the strategic waterway is not a bad idea.
The UK and France have spearheaded plans for a defensive mission to protect and reassure vessels in the channel once hostilities conclude, including the deployment of autonomous mine-hunting equipment.
Mr. Trump made these remarks upon arriving at a summit of G7 leaders in Evian, France. The emerging agreement with Tehran to end the four-month-long war was set to dominate discussions, alongside the situation in Ukraine.
Ending Iran's control over the critical Gulf channel, which had disrupted global oil and gas supplies and driven up fuel and food prices, was a key demand in negotiations. Previous reluctance among allies to engage in the conflict had created tensions with the White House.
During talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr. Trump stated: "I don't think we're going to need much help, because we have an agreement where it's going to be open and it's toll-free. So I don't think we're going to need much help, but I don't think it's a bad idea to have a ship or two up here from a few countries."
President Macron mentioned that France could have fighter jets patrolling the strait as soon as Tuesday, with an aircraft carrier already in the region.
Earlier, welcoming the breakthrough agreement between Washington and Tehran, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told a press conference that Britain was ready to help safeguard the sea route. He said: "You will know that we took preparatory action as a coalition of countries, led by myself and President Macron, to put together those countries that are prepared to do some of the reassurance work that's needed when we get to a moment like this to help get vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. We've got military planning behind that, so I hope now we can play our part in relation to that."
Oil prices fell sharply after the peace deal announcement. Brent Crude, the global benchmark, dropped more than 5% on Monday to just over 82 US dollars a barrel, its lowest level in over three months. Stock markets in Europe and Asia also rallied as investors breathed a sigh of relief.
The US-Iran agreement will be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday. However, while the deal halts the conflict, lifts the US blockade, and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's disputed nuclear plans remain subject to further negotiations. Tehran insists its intentions are peaceful, but the US and Israel fear the regime could build a weapon using its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Mr. Trump said: "The main thing is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, they fully agreed to that with strong policing powers, and they won't have a nuclear weapon, which is what it was all about, because they probably would have used it if they had it."
The president was unsure whether he would attend the signing ceremony, which Vice President JD Vance will represent. He said: "It depends. I'll probably be gone by then. I may be involved, I may not, but JD is coming in for that." On releasing the agreement document, he added: "Probably pretty soon, I would say after some time after Friday."
