Strait of Hormuz: European Union rejects Trump’s call for help

Trump

European leaders have rejected demands by the US President, Donald Trump, for help to clear the strait of Hormuz, as foreign ministers from the European Union gathered in Brussels yesterday to discuss skyrocketing oil prices from the US-Israeli war on Iran. The push back came after Trump called on the UK, China, France, Japan, South Korea and other NATO countries to send ships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, saying it would be very bad for the future of NATO if allies don’t help secure the strait.

US officials had also spent much of the weekend working to rally support behind Trump’s demand and said they hoped to announce a new coalition in the coming days, according to people familiar with the matter.

Who that coalition consists of, and when it might be announced, remain open questions.

Even staunch US allies sound cautious about sending their militaries into the contested waterway while an active war is underway.

Still, US officials said they hoped to, at least, receive preliminary commitments of support for securing the strait, even if countries left the specifics, such as what ships were deployed and when, to a later date.

But the EU foreign ministers at the meeting demanded to know more about Trump’s plans for the war on Iran and when the conflict might end, even as they weighed his request for help.

Speaking at the meeting, German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, said Berlin had no intention of joining military operations during the conflict, adding that NATO needed clarity on when US and Israel considered the military aims of their deployment to have been reached. Vanguard