US President Donald Trump has again called on international partners to help restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and called on nations that rely on the critical oil transit corridor to do their part to protect the waterway.
Speaking at a White House event on Monday (March 16), Trump said he had reached out to several world leaders to form a coalition aimed at protecting sea lanes following escalating tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran.
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“We strongly urge other nations to engage with us, quickly and with great enthusiasm,” Trump said.
Trump: “We don’t need anybody”
Despite the push for international support, Trump also struck a defiant tone with allies reluctant to participate.
“I don’t sell them hard because my position is: we don’t need anybody,” Trump told reporters.
“We are the strongest nation in the world, we have the strongest military in the world. We don’t need them.”
Trump also indicated that he was testing how allied nations would respond to the crisis.
France signals possible support
Trump said he has spoken to Emmanuel Macron about the situation and believes France may be willing to help in efforts to secure the waterway.
“I spoke to him on March 15,” Trump said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s France – we don’t expect perfect.”
Trump added that some countries had told him privately that they were going to help, but preferred not to be publicly identified.
“Maybe they don’t want me to share their names because they’re afraid they’ll be targeted,” he said.
UK considers role but avoids wider war
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was willing to work with allies to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait, but stressed the situation was complex. Starmer reiterated that the UK does not want to be drawn into a wider conflict.
Germany rejects military involvement
Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Berlin would not participate in a US-Israeli war against Iran, citing the absence of an international mandate.
“We lack the mandate from the United Nations, the European Union or NATO required by the Basic Law,” Merz told a news conference in Berlin.
“Therefore, it was clear from the beginning that this war was not a matter for NATO.”
Italy and Spain urge caution
Antonio Tajani, vice-president of Italy’s Council of Ministers, said Italy supported the strengthening of the European Union’s naval missions in the Red Sea, but warned that expanding such operations to the Strait of Hormuz would be difficult.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also warned that sending warships could effectively draw the country into conflict.
“Italy is not at war with anyone and sending warships into a war zone would mean entering a war,” Salvini said.
Spain has similarly signaled that it does not want to escalate the situation.
Japan and Australia rule out naval deployments
In Asia and the Pacific, key US partners have also taken a cautious stance.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo had not decided to send escort ships to the region and would continue to assess what actions were legally possible.
“We have not made any decisions about sending escort ships,” Takaichi told parliament.
Australia has also ruled out sending vessels to the Persian Gulf.
“We will not be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz,” Catherine King, the minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development, told state broadcaster ABC.
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