NATO members are holding discussions to find the best way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route blocked by Iran following the American-Israeli attacks, said Wednesday the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mark Rutte, reports News.ro quoting CNN.
“We of course all agree that the strait needs to be reopened. And what I do know is that the allies are working together and discussing how to go about it, the best way to do it,” said Mark Rutte, who is visiting northern Norway to witness the Cold Response exercise.
“We are working together on this to find a solution,” assured Rutte.
American President Donald Trump has been criticizing for several days the refusal of Washington's main NATO allies, including France and Great Britain, to help the United States reopen this strait through which, before the war, almost 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transited. The near-total paralysis of the strategic Strait of Hormuz has caused oil prices to skyrocket over the past two weeks.
On Monday, Trump requested the assistance of major world powers to guarantee the security of the strait. On Tuesday, he described as “a really stupid mistake” the refusal of many NATO countries to provide assistance to the United States and assured that, in the end, their help is not needed.
At the same time, the US military hit Iranian missile depots near the Strait of Hormuz with anti-bunker bombs.
