Trump: show ‘enthusiasm’
Trump over the weekend called on countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain to send warships to escort tankers through the strait, warning refusing would be “very bad for the future of Nato”.
And he stepped up pressure again on Monday, saying he expected Britain and France to help secure shipping in the key waterway, and criticising US allies for their lukewarm response.
“We strongly encourage the other nations to get involved with us and get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm,” he said, adding he believed Britain would get involved in a Hormuz mission.
Oil prices jumped after the strait was closed and remained on Monday above US$100 per barrel as the Iran war moved into a third week.
Oil prices remain above US$100 a barrel as the Iran war enters a third week. Photo / Getty Images
The volatility further underlined the importance of ensuring safe passage for tankers through the vital transport route.
Starmer, who had faced stinging criticism from Trump over Britain’s refusal to join the US and Israel in offensive attacks on Iran, told reporters he had discussed the waterway with the US leader on Sunday.
“We’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts,” he said in Downing Street.
“Let me be clear: that won’t be, and it’s never been envisioned to be, a Nato mission,” Starmer said, while also stressing Britain “will not be drawn into the wider war”.
“That’ll have to be an alliance of partners,” he added of any Strait of Hormuz mission.
‘Difficult’
A Nato official noted that members “have already stepped up to provide additional security in the Mediterranean”.
“We are aware that individual allies are talking with the US and others on what more they might do, including in the context of security in the Strait of Hormuz,” the official told AFP.
Following Trump’s demand for military support, some European countries sought to appear open-minded while remaining non-committal.
“We did not want this war. From day one, we have called for de-escalation,” Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told Danish media in Brussels before an EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
“That said, I believe we need to keep an open mind and look at how we can contribute,” he said, describing the situation as “very, very serious”.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten told the country’s ANP press agency that it would be “very difficult to launch a successful mission there in the short term”.
– Agence France-Presse