Last Updated on March 17, 2026 12:37 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
NEWS DESK
The United Kingdom and Germany have rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the escalating West Asia war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, stressing that the conflict is not a mission for the alliance.
The pushback came after President Trump urged US allies and major powers to send warships to help escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical Gulf shipping corridor that Iran has effectively closed to US and allied traffic during the conflict. President Trump warned that NATO faced a bleak future if members refused to assist in reopening the waterway, which carries a large share of global oil exports.
Speaking at a press conference today, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, Britain is working with allies on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but will not be drawn into the wider war. Mr Starmer said, Britain is discussing with the US and allies in Europe and the Gulf the possibility of using mine-hunting drones that the UK has in the region. But he signalled that the UK is unlikely to dispatch a warship. Earlier, President Trump had berated Prime Minister Starmer for a perceived lack of support for the war, after the Prime Minister initially refused to allow the US to use British bases to strike Iran. He said Britain is seeking a viable collective plan to reopen the strait, adding that it is not easy.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesman today said the West Asia war has nothing to do with NATO and is not NATO’s war, highlighting European reluctance to involve the military alliance in the conflict.
Speaking ahead of the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Germany’s Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, said, NATO should not intervene in the Strait of Hormuz blockade situation. He emphasized that NATO had not made any decisions nor was it responsible for this issue.