#美政府计划多国联合护航霍尔木兹 Why Does the United States Want to Form the "Hormuz Alliance"?

The United States plans to form a so-called "Hormuz Alliance" in the near future to control the Strait of Hormuz and is urging countries like Britain and Japan to respond. With ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, what is the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz? How have various parties reacted? What are the difficulties in conducting escort operations in the strait?

What is the Current Situation in the Strait of Hormuz?

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said in an interview with American media on the 14th that the Strait of Hormuz is actually open and only closed to "Iran's enemies." He stated that "although many ships choose not to pass through for security reasons, this has nothing to do with us."

Arne Loman Rasmussen, chief analyst at global risk management company, told American media that although the Strait of Hormuz has not been physically blocked, Iranian threats combined with drone and missile attacks have deterred many tankers from passing through the strait. "The strait has effectively closed. Tankers face the risk of being attacked, have difficulty obtaining insurance, or face exorbitant insurance costs, so they can only wait for the security situation to improve before resuming navigation."

According to the website of the International Maritime Organization headquartered in London, from when the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran through March 13, a total of 16 confirmed vessel attacks occurred in and around the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of at least 7 sailors and 1 shipyard worker, with at least 4 sailors missing.

Lloyd's List Intelligence reported that from March 1 to 13, only 77 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz. By comparison, from March 1 to 11, 2025, 1,229 vessels passed through the strait. According to the British Daily Telegraph, no vessels transited the strait on the 14th, marking the first such occurrence since the conflict began.

The current situation in the Strait of Hormuz has caused international oil prices to skyrocket, with cascading effects intensifying. Andy Haldane, former chief economist of the Bank of England, wrote that "with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, one-fifth of global oil transportation has been disrupted, with daily losses approaching 20 million barrels. This represents the largest shock ever experienced by the global oil market, causing severe intraday volatility in oil prices and massive strategic petroleum reserve releases. This is unprecedented in history."

How Have Various Parties Reacted?

According to Axios on the 16th, citing multiple sources, U.S. officials conducted intensive telephone diplomatic consultations over the weekend with countries from Europe, Asia, and the Gulf region to secure political commitments regarding the formation of the so-called "Hormuz Alliance."

President Trump stated on the 15th that if NATO allies do not take action to help the United States keep the Strait of Hormuz open, NATO will face a "very bad" future.

Although Trump said on social media that many countries "will send warships with the United States," no country has made a public commitment so far.

British Prime Minister Starmer spoke with Trump by phone on the 15th regarding passage through the Strait of Hormuz. British Energy Security and Net Zero Emissions Minister Miliband told media that the British cabinet is examining all possible options and has "consulted with allies including the United States."

German Foreign Minister Baerbock stated on the 15th that Germany has no need to participate in escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz. She expressed "grave skepticism" about the possible expansion of the EU's "Shield" escort operation to the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae issued a press release on the 15th stating that it has noted Trump's relevant remarks on social media and that the South Korean government is closely monitoring the Middle East situation and related countries' actions, exploring various measures to protect Korean citizens and ensure the safety of energy transport corridors.

According to the Japan Economic News website on the 15th, the United States hopes Japan will dispatch vessels to escort the Strait of Hormuz, but Japan faces legal obstacles domestically. The United States previously attempted in 2019 to form a Hormuz Strait escort coalition and explored whether Japan was interested in cooperation. The Abe government at the time ultimately decided that Japan's Self-Defense Forces would not join the escort coalition.

According to reports from the British Financial Times and other media, France, Italy, India and other countries have engaged in talks with Iran, hoping to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that direct dialogue with Iran is the most effective way to resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

How Difficult Are Escort Operations?

A spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Nayini, stated earlier this month that Iran would be "very welcome" to American escort operations for tankers, saying "we are waiting for their arrival." He said that before making any decision, the United States should "remember the 1987 fire incident of the American supertanker Bridgeton and recent tanker attack incidents."

Nayini was referring to the Bridgeton oil tanker, which under U.S. military escort, struck a mine while transiting the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq War and was damaged.

Araghchi said on social media on the 14th that "the security umbrella touted by the United States has proven to be full of loopholes, failing to serve as a deterrent and instead inviting trouble. Now the United States is forced to beg other countries to help ensure the safety of the Strait of Hormuz." Iran's Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei previously issued a statement vowing to continue blockading the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation against the United States.

Analysts believe that even if the United States successfully forms an "escort coalition," the actual implementation of such escort operations would be extremely difficult. Jonathan Schroden, a researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses think tank, stated that Iran is likely to adopt various countermeasures, including mines, attack speedboats, missiles, and attack drones. "If you lay mines in the water combined with surface and air threats, the threat extends from the sea floor to the surface and into the air. This would make escort operations even more difficult."

Chris Murphy, a Democratic U.S. Senator representing Connecticut, recently wrote on social media: "What about providing naval escort for tankers? This is indeed a viable option, but implementation is more difficult than imagined. First, it would require the deployment of our entire naval force. One hundred tankers need escort every day. Second, if we cannot clear mines and drones, our own warships will also face danger."

John Kirby, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and former Pentagon spokesman, said that escort operations are high-cost and time-consuming activities, and "success is not necessarily guaranteed."

Analysts point out that with the conflict ongoing, Iran still possesses missile and drone strike capabilities. Many U.S. allies worry that dispatching warships would further entangle the region in conflict, so the number of responders to forming an international escort coalition may be limited. According to the Wall Street Journal, given the risks involved, many countries have maintained a "wait-and-see attitude" regarding implementing such escort missions before the conflict ends.