TLDR:
- Trump demanded allies send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — and got mostly cold shoulders
- Japan, South Korea, Britain, Australia and Germany all declined or stalled
- China, unusually called upon despite being a U.S. rival, stayed silent
- Trump warned the rebuff could be “very bad for the future of NATO”
World leaders on Monday rebuffed President Trump’s demand that U.S. allies commit warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with key partners offering noncommittal statements or outright refusals.
Mr. Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday, calling on China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to join the U.S. Navy in reopening the strait, which Iran has effectively closed since early March in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. At least 20% of the world’s oil passes through the waterway each year.
The responses were underwhelming. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would not be “drawn into a wider war.” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo was still examining what actions fell within Japanese law. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his government was cooperating closely with Washington — without offering commitments.
Germany, which Mr. Trump didn’t even call upon, volunteered a rejection anyway. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius flatly declared, “This is not our war.”
Australia said it hadn’t been asked and wasn’t volunteering. China’s Foreign Ministry dodged reporters’ questions entirely.
Mr. Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning that a refusal could be “very bad for the future of NATO” and suggesting he might cancel an April summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Read more:
• Japan, South Korea, noncommittal on joining Trump-proposed escort mission in Strait of Hormuz
• World leaders cool on Trump’s demand for an international coalition to reopen Strait of Hormuz
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