Allies split on Trump’s planned Strait of Hormuz blockade. How did nations react?

THE US military announced Sunday that it will begin blockading all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 7.30 pm IST, effectively taking control of ships entering and leaving Iran. However, vessels not heading to or from Iran will still be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday. “Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL.”

“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” US Central Command said in a post on X, adding the US would “not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports”.

The post clarified earlier social media threats from US President Donald Trump that "any and all Ships" would be affected.

China says…

China urges calm and restraint on all sides, a spokesperson for its foreign ministry said on Monday, when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to launch a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iran failed, Reuters reported.

Keeping the key waterway safe, stable and unimpeded serves the common interest of the international community, the spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, told a regular press conference, the report stated.

UK will not join US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom has decided not to join the proposed US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, adding another disagreement between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the situation in Iran, as reported by Bloomberg.

In a statement Sunday, the British government expressed its support for maintaining open navigation and keeping the strait accessible, after Trump announced that the US would initiate a full naval blockade of the crucial waterway, which is vital for global energy distribution.

Tensions between the two leaders have worsened after Starmer refused to let US forces use British military bases for the initial strikes on Iran, prompting Trump to respond with a series of sharp criticisms and insults directed at him.

Australia calls for Strait of Hormuz to be open to all

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for the Strait of Hormuz to be open and said the United States had not requested Australian help to blockade it.

Albanese told Nine Network television on Monday: “We’ve received no requests, and they’ve made this announcement overnight and they’ve done that in a unilateral way. And we haven’t been asked to participate.”

“What we want to see is negotiations continue and resume. We want to see an end to this conflict. We want to see the Strait of Hormuz opened for all. We want to see freedom of navigation as required by international law as well,” Albanese added.

Are more negotiations on the way?

Trump said in an interview with Fox News Sunday that he still believes Iran is willing to continue negotiations, describing the recent talks in Islamabad as “very friendly.”

"I do believe they're going to come to the table on this, because nobody can be so stupid as to say, ‘We want nuclear weapons,’ and they have no cards," he said, as reported by Reuters.

But several hours later, the US president said he did not care whether a "desperate" Iran returned to the negotiating table.

"If they don't come back, I'm fine," Trump told journalists on Sunday night after he returned to the Washington area from an overnight stay in Florida.

Qalibaf blamed the U.S. for not winning Tehran's trust, despite his team offering "forward-looking initiatives." Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who discussed the talks in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Tehran wanted "a balanced and fair agreement."

"If the United States returns to the framework of international law, reaching an agreement is not far off," he told Putin, Iranian state media reported.