Despite mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump, European nations have declined to commit military assets to the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that diplomacy offers the only workable path to resolving the crisis. Trump had personally warned that NATO’s future was in jeopardy if member states refused to send warships to help reopen the blocked waterway. European governments, however, were largely unmoved, citing both the absence of a shared strategy and the dangers of further escalation.
Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz was the most emphatic in its refusal, ruling out any military engagement with what the minister described as not being Germany’s war. The defense minister added that the American request was difficult to understand given the enormous disparity in naval power between the US and Europe. Merz also called for the end of the Iranian regime but insisted that historical lessons argued strongly against the use of military force to bring this about.
Britain’s Keir Starmer was more ambiguous, acknowledging the need to reopen the strait and promising a plan while stopping short of any military commitment. He emphasized that any action would need to be internationally coordinated and carefully considered. The prime minister’s position reflected a clear desire to maintain good standing with Washington without provoking domestic political backlash.
Italy, France, Greece, Japan, and Australia each declined to participate, while the EU’s body of foreign ministers confirmed that their existing Red Sea mission would not be expanded in scope or mandate. The foreign policy chief of the EU noted that while there was desire to strengthen the existing mission, extending it to the strait lacked the necessary political support. Estonia’s representative voiced what many European officials privately felt by calling for greater transparency from the US and Israel on their ultimate strategic aims.
The conflict between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran continued to expand. Israel announced fresh strikes on Tehran, Tabriz, and Shiraz, while Iranian forces launched missiles toward Israel that were intercepted. In the UAE, drone attacks caused fires at a major oil port, temporarily halting crude exports. The US confirmed 13 troop fatalities and 200 wounded since the conflict began, while human rights monitors in Iran reported that the civilian death toll had exceeded 1,275 people.
European Countries Hold the Line Against Trump’s Hormuz War Demand
