The U.S. went to war without its allies. Now it wants their help
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 16 March 2026
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
Only now is the president trying to enlist allies to help end Iran’s effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.
And many of the countries he’s asked – are rejecting Trump’s request.
Can the U.S. get its allies to help after going to war with Iran, and if they do, can the Strait of Hormuz really be secured?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Who is going to secure the narrow waterway through which 20% of the world's oil travels? |
| 0:07.2 | We're talking about the Strait of Hormuz and about President Trump's demand that about seven countries send warships to reopen the vital shipping route. |
| 0:17.4 | On Saturday, in a truth social post, Trump called out China, also France, Japan, South Korea, |
| 0:23.8 | and the United Kingdom to help the United States protect the area. Trump added, he hopes they would, |
| 0:29.7 | quote, send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation |
| 0:35.8 | that has been totally decapitated, end quote. |
| 0:39.5 | Here's Trump speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. |
| 0:42.9 | I really am demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory. |
| 0:49.6 | It's the place from which they get their energy. |
| 0:58.4 | And they should come and they should help us protect it. |
| 1:00.6 | They should help us protect it, he's saying. |
| 1:06.1 | Now, all of this is happening three weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched war against Iran and without having built a coalition to protect the world's oil. |
| 1:10.8 | Consider this. |
| 1:11.9 | Can the U.S. get its allies to help after going to war with Iran? |
| 1:16.0 | And if they do, can the Strait of Hormuz really be secured? |
| 1:25.3 | From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly. |
| 1:34.8 | It's considered this from NPR. |
| 1:38.1 | President Trump launched the war against Iran without building a coalition of U.S. allies. |
| 1:43.5 | Only now is the president trying to enlist |
| 1:46.5 | allies to help end Iran's effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. And many of the countries |
| 1:52.5 | he's asked are rejecting Trump's request. To talk this through, I am joined by NPR National |
| 1:57.6 | Security correspondent Greg Meyeri. Hi, Greg. Hi, Mary Louise. And White House correspondent Franco Ordogne's, hi Franco. |
... |
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