NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Sunday (March 22), that 22 countries, including NATO members along with allies such as South Korea and Japan, are coordinating efforts to reopen navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
"What we need to do is to work together," Rutte told Fox News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream.
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"A group of 22 countries, most of them from NATO, but also Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand to UAE and Bahrain, most of the other countries from NATO, coming together … making sure that the Strait of Hormuz is free, is opening up as soon as possible," Rutte said.
The announcement comes amid escalating tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday (March 21), threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran failed to reopen the vital waterway within 48 hours. Trump's warning followed his earlier comments about "winding down" the war, now entering its fourth week.
Oil prices fluctuated on Monday as markets reacted to heightened U.S.-Iran confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz. Concerns over energy infrastructure threats weighed against the temporary easing of sanctions by Washington, allowing the release of Iranian seaborne oil, with millions of barrels entering global markets.
