Germany says Mideast war 'not NATO's, Starmer says UK, allies working on 'viable' plan; Japan, Australia won't send navy ship
WASHINGTON, Mar 16: US President Donald Trump warned Sunday that NATO faces a "very bad" future if allies fail to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic oil shipping lane effectively shut by Iran during the Middle East war.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said countries that benefit from oil transported through the strait should help secure the waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of global crude normally passes.
"If there's no response or if it's a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO," Trump said, reiterating long-standing criticism that US allies rely too heavily on American military power.
Trump said Washington was in discussions with "about seven" countries about helping to reopen the waterway and escort tankers through the region.
Asked what kind of assistance he expected, Trump said he wanted minesweepers and forces capable of dealing with threats along Iran's coastline.
"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," he said.
Trump also suggested that a planned summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping could be delayed as Washington presses China to assist efforts to secure the route.
Germany said the conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran was "not NATO's war" and ruled out military involvement.
"NATO is an alliance for the defence of territory and the mandate to deploy NATO is lacking in the current situation," German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told reporters in Berlin.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany would not take part in military operations but was prepared to support diplomatic efforts aimed at ensuring safe passage through the strait.
"There will be no military participation," he said, adding that Berlin's primary security responsibility remained NATO's eastern flank.
"What does Donald Trump expect from a handful of European frigates in the Strait of Hormuz that the mighty US navy cannot manage alone?" Pistorius added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London was working with allies on a "viable" plan to restore freedom of navigation in the strait but stressed that any effort would not involve NATO.
"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," Starmer told reporters in Downing Street.
"Let me be clear, that won't be and it's never been envisioned to be a NATO mission," he added, saying the effort would instead involve a coalition of partner countries.
Starmer also said Britain would not be drawn into the wider Middle East conflict while continuing to defend its interests and allies.
Other US partners also appeared cautious.
Australia said it would not send a naval vessel to the Strait of Hormuz despite the importance of the route.
"We won't be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz," Transport Minister Catherine King told national broadcaster ABC.
Japan likewise said it was not currently considering ordering maritime security operations.
"In the current Iran situation, we are not at the moment considering issuing a maritime security operation," Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told parliament.
Prime Minister SanaeTakaichi said Tokyo had not received a formal request from Washington and stressed that any deployment would face significant legal constraints.
Sending Japan's Self-Defense Forces abroad remains politically sensitive under the country's pacifist constitution, imposed after World War II. "AFP
