Donald Trump has demanded that Nato allies send warships to the Strait of Hormuz in a matter of days, as he criticised the alliance for its inaction on Iran.
The fragile ceasefire between the US and the Islamic Republic appeared to hold on Thursday, while Israel said it would engage in peace negotiations with Lebanon after waves of air strikes killed hundreds of people.
After a meeting with Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary-general, Mr Trump issued a deadline to European capitals to pledge military support for reopening the key trade route within days.
The US president said Nato had been “very disappointing” and only acted when pressure was applied.
The ultimatum risks driving another wedge between the Trump administration and Nato’s European members, who refused to directly take part in the president’s war on Iran.
Germany said on Thursday that it would offer military support only after a permanent ceasefire, and even then Berlin would require a UN mandate and approval of parliament.
It is understood that Britain would also rather wait for a permanent ceasefire.
The new demand follows Mr Trump’s warning in a recent interview with The Telegraph that he is seriously considering pulling out of Nato, as he is furious that its members did not join the war.
The Telegraph understands that Mr Trump expects to see a detailed list from each Nato member within a few days, outlining what military support they are willing to provide.
This could include the deployment of warships, troops or minesweepers to clear hazards that Tehran has laid in the Strait during the 40-day war.
“If Nato can help, obviously then there is no reason not to be helpful,” Mr Rutte said in Washington on Thursday.
European capitals have been warned that previous political pledges of support are not enough in Mr Trump’s eyes, and that they must play a military role in keeping the Strait open to trade vessels.
British sources said the UK would be willing to deploy the military to Hormuz once a permanent ceasefire between the US and Iran has been agreed. However, there is concern that the current two-week ceasefire is unlikely to provide enough time to secure a permanent end to hostilities.
A Nato spokeswoman said on Thursday: “The secretary-general is in contact with Allies about his discussions in Washington. It’s clear that the United States expects concrete commitments and action to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Britain is leading a group of 40 countries drawing up military and diplomatic plans for the Strait to be fully re-opened as part of a lasting ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
The countries include Nato allies, EU members, Gulf states and some African nations.
The UK-led mission wants to return the status quo to the Strait, which Tehran sealed off in retaliation for Mr Trump launching his war on February 28. France has also announced an alliance of 15 countries that would launch a “defensive” mission in the Gulf to resume shipping traffic through the Strait.
Washington was caught off-guard by the closure of the trade route, through which 20 per cent of global oil shipments pass, and it has become the most contentious area of the peace talks.
Speaking in Washington on Thursday, Mr Rutte praised Mr Trump’s “bold leadership and vision” throughout the war, which he said made the West safer by degrading Tehran’s nuclear programme and ballistic missile stockpiles.
He conceded that some European allies “were a bit slow, to say the least” in pledging support to the US when the war started, but said this was partly because they were caught off-guard.
“In fairness, they were also a bit surprised. To maintain the element of surprise for the initial strikes, President Trump opted not to inform allies ahead of time,” said Mr Rutte, who is known as the “Trump whisperer” for his skill in mediating tensions between Europe and the United States.
He went on to insist that Europe was now “providing a massive amount of support” to Washington, including long-term planning on how to secure Hormuz. “Nearly without exception, allies are doing everything the United States is asking. They have heard and are responding to President Trump’s requests,” he said, singling out Sir Keir Starmer.
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said it was crucial that any disagreements over the ceasefire in Iran did not further damage relations between the US and its Nato partners in Europe.
“We do not want, I do not want, Nato to split. Nato is a guarantor of our security, including and above all in Europe,” he told reporters in Berlin.
However, he added: “We are prepared to help after a peace agreement is reached… President Trump knows that there are two prerequisites for Germany to do this,” Mr Merz said.
He was referring to the UN mandate and approval from the German parliament which German governments must obtain before deploying troops overseas under the postwar constitution.
In Tehran, deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh insisted the Strait had been reopened, but admitted ships still faced “technical” restrictions linked to the war.
He told ITV News: “The Strait of Hormuz is open. Of course there are technical restrictions because of the warzone and because of many arrangements Iran did during the war, during this aggression against Iran.”
Also on Thursday, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders to Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah, as it continued a major bombardment despite the US-Iran ceasefire.
The evacuation order came the day after at least 250 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon, marking the deadliest day in the Gulf war so far.
