U.S. President Donald Trump offered a measured assessment of French President Emmanuel Macron's readiness to join efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

"I spoke with him," Trump said at a White House event on Monday. "On a scale of zero to ten, I'd give him an eight."

"Not perfect," he shrugged, "but it's France."

Trump criticized U.S. allies who have refused to support his demand for patrolling the strait. France has said it is prepared to provide defensive escort for vessels through the strait after the "most intense phase" of the war has ended.

Trump also stressed that the U.S. "doesn't need their help." "We are the most powerful nation in the world. We have the strongest military, far ahead of everyone else. We don't need them," he said.

"I do this in some cases not because we need help, but to see how they react," Trump added.

He later said the administration would release a list of countries willing to assist the U.S. on the Strait of Hormuz in the future. "They are already on their way, already starting to move. You know, it takes a little time," the president explained.