European leaders rebuff Trump’s calls for military help in Strait of Hormuz

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U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz has been largely rebuffed by European leaders, who expressed reluctance to commit military resources to a war they didn’t start.

Mr. Trump has said NATO members should back the U.S. by sending warships, minesweepers and troops to patrol the narrow strait, which has been effectively closed by Iran. On Sunday, he warned that, “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”

The comments marked the first time since U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran began two weeks ago that Mr. Trump has shown an interest in building a coalition. But the response from many European capitals has been decidedly cool.

“We have a situation which we did not provoke. This war started without any consultations,” said Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. “What does Donald Trump expect from a handful of European frigates in the Strait of Hormuz that the mighty US Navy cannot manage alone?”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was working with allies to develop a viable plan, but no decisions have been made. “It’s obviously a difficult question, that goes without saying, in relation to how you safeguard maritime traffic,” he told reporters Monday during a news conference in London.

Any collective action must be credible and involve as many countries as possible, he added. “Let me be clear, that won’t be, and it’s never been envisioned to be, a NATO mission. That will have to be an alliance of partners, which is why we’re working with partners both in Europe, in the Gulf, and with the U.S.”

Britain has some autonomous mine hunting systems in the Gulf region and it could deploy anti-drone systems. But Mr. Starmer insisted his country “will not be drawn into the wider war.”

Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel resisted what he called “blackmail” from the U.S. President. Foreign ministers from France, Italy, Spain and Greece also said their militaries would not join in patrolling the strait, as did officials from non-NATO allies Australia and Japan.

Many European leaders have vivid memories of the war in Iraq in 2003 when Britain and other countries joined a U.S.-led coalition that was supposed to eliminate what was believed to be Iraq’s stockpile of “weapons of mass destruction.” Military inspectors failed to uncover any weapons and a British inquiry later concluded that there was no legal basis for the invasion.

But Europe can’t avoid the consequences of Mr. Trump’s decision to launch air strikes on Iran in conjunction with Israel. While the military action has crippled the Iranian military, Iran has managed to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz.

Roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil is shipped through the waterway and the closure has driven up the cost of energy globally. The price of Brent crude, considered the international benchmark, has jumped more than 40 per cent to US$100 a barrel since the initial strikes.

A total of 16 tankers have been attacked since the war began, according to Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations.

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said only vessels connected to the U.S., Israel and their allies were under threat in the strait. “It is only closed to our enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”

On Saturday, two Indian-flagged vessels carrying liquefied petroleum gas were permitted by Iran to cross the strait, the Indian government said. A pair of ships destined for Pakistan, which Iran thanked for its support, have also sailed through safely.

On Monday, Mr. Trump said “numerous countries have told me they’re on the way” to help keep the strait open, although he didn’t name any. He also lashed out at nations who have been reluctant.

“You mean for 40 years we’re protecting you and you don’t want to get involved in something that’s very minor?” he said during a press conference in Washington.

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He has singled out Britain for particular scorn. “The U.K. might be considered the number one ally, the longest serving et cetera and when I asked for them to come, they didn’t want to come,” he said on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Mr. Trump said the U.S. didn’t need British warships and he criticized Mr. Starmer for initially refusing to permit U.S. warplanes from using the Diego Garcia military base in the central Indian Ocean to launch air strikes in the early days of the war.

Britain has since allowed U.S. jets to launch missions from the base, which is jointly managed by both countries, but only for defensive purposes. “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Mr. Trump said at the time.

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On Monday, Mr. Starmer played down the growing tension with Mr. Trump. He described their relationship as “good” and said they had a productive conversation on Sunday about Iran.

“We’re strong allies, have been for decades. But it is for me to act in what I consider to be the best interests of Britain, and I have to keep that uppermost in my mind,” he said.

Earlier Monday, Mr. Starmer met with Prime Minister Mark Carney at Downing Street. The two leaders discussed the war in Iran and “condemned the Iranian regime’s missile and drone attacks,” according to a summary of the meeting provided by Canadian officials.