European governments have pushed back against what they see as an inappropriate ultimatum from Donald Trump, who warned NATO allies of a bleak future unless they contributed warships to the Strait of Hormuz. The strait has been effectively closed since Iran moved to block it following the outbreak of hostilities between the US-Israeli coalition and Tehran. European leaders stressed that they had not participated in launching the conflict and could not be expected to bail out a military operation initiated without their knowledge or consent.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz ruled out military involvement with complete finality, noting that no joint decision to intervene had ever been taken by European allies. His defense minister raised the pointed question of what European naval resources could realistically add to a situation the United States Navy had not itself managed to resolve. Merz also addressed the desired political outcome of ending the Iranian regime while stressing that air campaigns alone had rarely proven effective in achieving durable political change.
Britain’s Keir Starmer navigated the situation by offering commitment to a plan without specifying its content. He emphasized that any action would need to be broadly supported internationally and stopped short of making any military commitment. Trump expressed unhappiness with London’s approach but stopped short of abandoning hope that the UK would eventually contribute.
Italy’s foreign minister declared diplomacy essential and confirmed no naval assets were available for redeployment to the Hormuz area. Greece ruled out military engagement, and France, Japan, and Australia confirmed they would not send warships. The EU declined to change the mandate of Operation Aspides after a ministerial meeting, with Kaja Kallas confirming the absence of consensus for expanding the mission.
The battlefield continued to generate alarming headlines. Israel announced large-scale strikes on Iranian cities with detailed operational plans for the weeks ahead, and Iran fired retaliatory missiles toward Israel that were intercepted. Drone attacks disrupted operations at the UAE oil port of Fujairah and caused brief flight disruptions near Dubai. Iran’s government rejected ceasefire proposals and warned Washington against any ground troop deployment. US military losses reached 13 killed and over 200 wounded, while rights organizations placed the civilian death toll in Iran at over 1,275.