Fact Check: Is Trump's claim the US 'does not' use Strait of Hormuz true?

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Friday, March 20, took to Truth Social and outlined the objectives of the US military campaign against Iran, suggesting the conflict may be approaching its end.

Among his claims was an assertion about the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which around 20 percent of the world's oil normally flows. The POTUS claimed that the US "does not" use the Strait of Hormuz. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Trump says US 'does not' use the Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump took to Truth Social and wrote, "The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!"

The POTUS added that if asked, the US would help other countries with their Hormuz efforts, while suggesting that it "shouldn't be necessary once Iran's threat is eradicated."

Interestingly, this is not something that the President had said earlier. His statements on the Strait have changed considerably over the past few weeks. On March 3, after Iran threatened to 'set fire' to any ships attempting to pass through, the POTUS said the US Navy would begin escorting tankers through if necessary.

Similarly, on March 10, he threatened to hit Iran 'twenty times harder' if it blocked oil flow through the strait. He also called for other nations to send warships to help open the lane a few days later.

Earlier this week, Trump suggested that countries that use the strait should be 'responsible' for it, and on Friday, he criticised NATO countries that "complain about the high oil prices" but "don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz."

Fact Check: False, the US does use the Strait of Hormuz

The claim made by Donald Trump that the US 'does not' use the Strait of Hormuz is misleading. The US pulled in roughly half a million barrels a day in 2024 from Persian Gulf countries, all of which came through Hormuz. It is around 7 percent of total American oil imports, as per the US Energy Information Administration.

Moreover, the US has been operating in and around the strait for decades, as history suggests. During the Iran-Iraq War, American warships were escorting tankers through the passage. 

Similarly, in 1987, the US forces directly engaged Iranian units that were laying mines in the Gulf.

Furthermore, around 17 million barrels of oil move through Hormuz every single day, which is roughly 20 percent of the world's total consumption. When the flow is disrupted, prices spike everywhere, including the US.

To sum it up, Donald Trump's claim that the US 'does not' use the Strait of Hormuz is misleading as the US imports meaningful volumes of oil through the strait.