US Allies Wary of Joining Trump's Strait of Hormuz Mission [View all]
Source: Bloomberg
March 16, 2026 at 3:55 AM EDT
Updated on March 16, 2026 at 7:25 AM EDT
US allies deflected President Donald Trump’s demands to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, expressing unease about getting pulled into the war in Iran. In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers stressed that they did not want to escalate the war, treading cautiously about even redirecting an existing Red Sea naval mission to the vital passage for energy shipments. In Japan, officials said there were no plans to dispatch ships to escort stalled tankers. The UK similarly wouldn’t commit to a full naval mission.
“Of course, everyone is concerned about the situation in the Straits of Hormuz and the wider effect of this war on energy prices,” said UK Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, speaking for the government on Monday. “But it’s also important to remember that we have not sought to be a protagonist in this war.” Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel was more blunt: “Blackmail is not what I wish for.”
The responses amounted to a rebuttal of Trump, who on Sunday insisted that his allies in NATO and Asia help get oil and gas shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the US and Israel attacked Iran. Roughly one fifth of the world’s oil moves through the narrow passage. The blockade has sent energy prices soaring, leaving governments worried about inflation, economic slowdowns and even food supply disruptions.
But on Monday, officials were also cautious about aiding Trump’s operations, which have prompted Tehran to spray missiles and drones across the region. “We must not do anything that adds even more tension or escalation,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said in Brussels. “What we need is for the bombings and the missile launches against all countries in the Middle East to stop, and for us to return to the negotiating table.”
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-16/eu-pushes-to-shift-naval-mission-to-protect-strait-of-hormuz?srnd=phx-politics
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The "obliterated" Houthis are waiting for them to move their fleets out of the Red Sea.
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