U.S. Allies Rebuff Trump's Demand For Help --- Germany, Australia and Japan say they won't be joining in Hormuz campaign

“U.S. allies on Monday largely balked at President Trump's pressure to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and relieve pressure on the global economy.

 

Germany has rejected taking part in an operation to wrest control of the strait from Iran, while Japan and Australia have indicated they are unlikely to send vessels to help. The U.K. and France said they are assessing possible action but haven't committed to doing anything before fighting halts. All are close U.S. allies.

 

On Monday, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of Germany dismissed Trump's call for help, asking rhetorically what Trump expects "a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to accomplish in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. Navy there cannot achieve on its own?"

 

"This is not our war. We did not start it," he said.

 

Trump said on Monday that the U.S. doesn't need any country to help it in the strait, but that he is asking for support "because I want to find out how they react," adding, "We don't need anybody. We're the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world."

 

The president said he thinks France will join the Strait of Hormuz coalition following a phone call with President Emmanuel Macron of France.

 

Trump said he told U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the U.S. has been a longtime ally and that he was frustrated that the U.K. offered aircraft carriers "after the war essentially ended."

 

Trump had sent a pointed message to allies over the weekend. If countries refuse to join in the effort to open the strait, "we will remember," he said on Air Force One. He said in an interview with the Financial Times that if North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies don't help, "it will be very bad for the future" of the alliance.

 

Tehran has threatened to attack any vessels trying to cross without its approval, sending oil prices soaring since the war's start. About 20% of the world's oil supply passed through the strait before the war began, but now the waterway is largely closed.

 

Dubai's civilian aviation authority said on Monday that flights to and from Dubai International Airport were resuming, following a temporary suspension earlier in the day after a fire broke out near the airport at a fuel tank after a drone-related incident.

 

European reluctance to get involved reflects in part strained relations with a U.S. administration that has derided its traditional allies and leveraged its economic and military heft to achieve its desired outcomes.

 

"Trump has been trying to weaponize interdependence using American economic power to coerce partners and allies into doing his bidding," said Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King's College London's School of Security Studies. "This lever has been so overused that the world is responding with disentanglement from Washington, where possible."

 

None of Washington's traditional partners can afford to entirely dismiss White House pressure. European countries are still trying to keep Trump engaged on Ukraine and prod him away from a U.S. realignment with Russia, out of fears it would undercut Kyiv's sovereignty and help relieve economic pressure on the Kremlin.

 

Europe is highly exposed to near-closure of the strait after a surge in energy prices across most of the Continent following events in Ukraine in 2022. European countries are slashing Russian energy imports. They were angered by an administration decision last week to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil exports.

 

Yet, Trump's threats carry less heft than a year ago.

 

Last summer, European capitals danced to Trump's tune over his demand that NATO countries raise defense spending to 5% of economic output and agree to a trade deal that accepted U.S. tariffs on European goods.

 

In recent months, though, that deference has worn thin, and Trump's leverage has declined somewhat.

 

The administration's decision to pull all direct financial aid to Ukraine has pushed Europe to step in, keeping Kyiv in the fight despite the White House's efforts to end the conflict.

 

Trump's push to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous island that is part of Denmark, sparked a European threat to kill last summer's trade deal. Europe's threat sent markets tumbling and caused Trump to back off.

 

The U.K.'s government initially refused to allow the U.S. to use its bases to attack Iran, with Starmer saying he wasn't going to join a war unless it was legal and there was a "viable, thought-through plan."

 

Starmer said the U.K. was looking to work with the U.S., Gulf and European partners to draw up a plan to secure the strait. But he said no decisions had been made and declined to address whether the U.K. would get involved before a U.S.-Iran cease-fire was negotiated.

 

Macron has sent eight frigates, two amphibious helicopter carriers and an aircraft carrier to the region and said some ships would be deployed near the strait.

 

Macron is seeking to put together his own coalition of European, Asian and Gulf countries for a mission, but French officials said any operation would take place after a halt in the fighting.

 

Macron said in a Monday post on X that he had spoken with President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran and told him freedom of navigation in the Strait "must be restored as soon as possible."

 

European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday and held initial talks on the situation.

 

The EU's foreign-policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said after the meeting: "Nobody wants to go actively in this war."” [1]

 

Western European leaders are wrong trying not to help Trump in Hormuz. They are much more exposed to the resulting crisis than Trump is.

 

As of March 17, 2026, European leaders have officially rejected President Donald Trump's demands to deploy naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran following the U.S.-Israeli war on that nation.

While European economies are indeed more exposed to the resulting energy crisis than the U.S., their refusal is rooted in strategic and political disagreements over the conflict's origin and goals.

Economic Exposure: Europe vs. U.S.

The economic data supports the claim that Europe is more vulnerable to this specific crisis:

 

    Energy Dependence: Europe has a high reliance on Middle Eastern energy, especially after phasing out Russian imports. In contrast, the U.S. is the world's largest oil producer, providing a measure of insulation.

    Market Impact: European benchmark stock indices (DAX, CAC 40) have dropped approximately 7% since hostilities began, compared to a more modest 2.5% decline for the U.S. S&P 500.

    Price Shocks: European natural gas prices (TTF index) surged over 60% in 10 days, directly impacting electricity costs in Italy, the UK, and Germany.

 

Reasons for European Resistance

Despite their economic vulnerability, European leaders have cited several reasons for not assisting the U.S. military mission:

 

    Lack of Consultation: Leaders like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that the U.S. and Israel launched the war without consulting allies.

    Not a NATO Mission: Germany and the UK have explicitly stated this is "not NATO's war" and that NATO is a defensive alliance for territory, not an interventionist one.

    Strategic Unclarity: EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas and other ministers are demanding clarity on Trump’s "strategic goals" and an exit plan before committing assets.

    Risk of Escalation: There is a stated "no appetite" for being drawn into a wider war, with leaders preferring diplomatic solutions and de-escalation over military participation.

 

Current European Stance

 

    Diplomacy Over Military: Countries like Germany and Greece have ruled out military involvement "as long as this war continues".

    Limited Cooperation: The UK has discussed using mine-hunting drones already in the region but refuses to join a broader naval coalition.

    Alternative Missions: The EU is weighing an expansion of Operation Aspides (currently in the Red Sea), but several members, including Italy, currently oppose shifting its focus to the high-risk Strait.

 

 

1. U.S. Allies Rebuff Trump's Demand For Help --- Germany, Australia and Japan say they won't be joining in Hormuz campaign. Norman, Laurence; Bertrand, Benoit.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 17 Mar 2026: A1.