Donald Trump has ratcheted up the pressure on European allies to help protect the strait of Hormuz, warning that Nato faces a “very bad” future if its members fail to come to Washington’s aid.
The de facto closure of the vital waterway by Tehran in retaliation for airstrikes by the US and Israel has proved catastrophic for global energy and trade flows, causing the largest oil supply disruption in history and soaring global oil prices.
The US president’s call for allies to enter the war by sending ships to the strait to protect commercial shipping vessels and unblock global oil supplies has met a muted response. Australia, France, Japan and the UK are among the countries to have said they have no plans to send ships.
Iranian combat power declines, as U.S. dominance builds over vast swaths of Iran. pic.twitter.com/LrYe5PVMj1
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2026
The sense of entitlement to US cash is eye watering: ‘We cannot replace USAID, but we can do big things’: conservation plots a future without American money
