European allies resist Trump's call for naval help in Strait of Hormuz
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Several European countries have reacted cautiously to a call by Donald Trump for international support to secure the Strait of Hormuz, signalling reluctance to become directly involved in the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Governments in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Greece have responded cautiously after Trump urged several countries, including France, China, Japan, and South Korea, to send naval ships to help reopen the strategic shipping route.
Trump warned that failure by allies to assist could be “very bad for the future” of NATO.
The strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors for oil shipments, has seen traffic slow sharply amid the conflict.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the waterway was only restricted for vessels belonging to the United States, Israel, and their allies.
A tanker was reported to have cleared the strait and sailed toward Pakistan, which Iran has thanked for showing solidarity during the ongoing hostilities.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said it had launched a broad wave of strikes on Iranian cities, including Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz. Israel also said it had begun what it described as limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Debris from an intercepted projectile fell in several cities near Tel Aviv, including Shoham, Rishon LeZion, Lod, and Ness Ziona, though authorities reported no casualties.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, Israeli attacks in Lebanon since early March have killed 850 people after cross-border tensions escalated following rocket fire from Hezbollah.
Trump said the United States was targeting Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and claimed that more than 30 Iranian mine-laying vessels had been destroyed, though he said it was unclear whether any naval mines had been deployed in the waterway.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also warned it could target American companies operating in the region and urged employees to leave the sites. Iranian media earlier published a list of potential targets that included offices of companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia in Gulf countries.