Trump: “We’re not going to have anything to do with” the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump told reporters that after the war with Iran ends, other countries will “be able to fend for themselves” if they need to import oil or natural gas from the Middle East via the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that has been effectively closed to ship traffic for weeks.

“What happens with the strait, we’re not going to have anything to do with,” the president said, because other countries like China and France will “take care of themselves.”

Oil tankers have all but stopped transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In the past, Mr. Trump has floated offering U.S. military escorts through the strait, but in recent weeks, he has said the burden of reopening the waterway should be carried by countries that are reliant on Middle Eastern oil. The U.S. does not import much petroleum from the Persian Gulf region and produces more oil than it uses, but the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed up prices globally, including in the U.S.

He told CBS News on Tuesday other countries are “going to have to come in and do their own work.”

In a Truth Social post earlier Tuesday, he wrote: “Go get your own oil!”