By Ravi Mattu
New York Times
President Trump has urged China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the waterway, even though they are not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
President Trump’s call for some countries not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran to send ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz has received cautious responses.
Mr. Trump named China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea in a social media post on Saturday, urging them to join an effort to guard the waterway, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
On Sunday, he warned that NATO faced a “very bad” future if members of the alliance did not help to open the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Europe was more reliant on Middle Eastern oil than the United States. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” he told the Financial Times.
Mr. Trump also threatened to delay a summit with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, which is expected to begin at the end of the month in Beijing.
Here is how governments have responded so far:
Germany: Germany rejected the U.S. demand. “This is not our war; we did not start it,” Boris Pistorius said at a news conference in Berlin on Monday. “We want diplomatic solutions and a swift end to the conflict, but sending more warships to the region will likely not help achieve that,” he added.
European Union: “It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that’s why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard,” Kaja Kallas, the top E.U. diplomat, told reporters on Monday. She was speaking before a meeting of European foreign ministers, who were expected to discuss what E.U. countries can do to protect the strait.
Britain: Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that his government was working with allies on a viable plan to reopen the strait but cautioned that Britain would not be “drawn into wider war,” a day after speaking with Mr. Trump about the strait and the disruptions to global shipping. Mr. Starmer did not say if Britain would send warships to the Gulf, but he urged a “swift resolution” to the conflict.
Australia: Australia does not intend to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz, Catherine King, the transport minister, said on Monday. “We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” Ms. King told Australia’s national broadcaster.
Japan: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Parliament on Monday that Japan had no plans to send warships to the Persian Gulf. Japan’s pacifist constitution limits military engagement in wars and a senior Japanese official had previously warned that any decision to deploy warships would face “high hurdles.” Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, told the Japanese public broadcaster NHK on Sunday that the country would have to be cautious. The issue may come up during Ms. Takaichi’s planned meeting with Mr. Trump in Washington on Thursday.
China: China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, has not responded directly to Mr. Trump’s remarks but has previously called for the cessation of hostilities. On Monday, Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said the two sides were still discussing Mr. Trump’s planned visit to Beijing. The spokesman reiterated that China was committed to de-escalating the conflict.
France: France has also not responded directly to Mr. Trump’s call publicly. President Emmanuel Macron has said that he would be willing to use the French navy to escort ships but only if the conflict stabilized. On Sunday, Mr. Macron wrote on social media that he had spoken with President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran and told him that Tehran needed to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and reopen it to shipping.
South Korea: The office of President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea said in a statement that it would “communicate closely with the United States,” but did not make any commitments.
Ravi Mattu is the managing editor of DealBook, based in London. He joined The New York Times in 2022 from the Financial Times, where he held a number of senior roles in Hong Kong and London.
President Trump has urged China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the waterway, even though they are not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
President Trump’s call for some countries not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran to send ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz has received cautious responses.
Mr. Trump named China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea in a social media post on Saturday, urging them to join an effort to guard the waterway, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
On Sunday, he warned that NATO faced a “very bad” future if members of the alliance did not help to open the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Europe was more reliant on Middle Eastern oil than the United States. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” he told the Financial Times.
Mr. Trump also threatened to delay a summit with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, which is expected to begin at the end of the month in Beijing.
Here is how governments have responded so far:
Germany: Germany rejected the U.S. demand. “This is not our war; we did not start it,” Boris Pistorius said at a news conference in Berlin on Monday. “We want diplomatic solutions and a swift end to the conflict, but sending more warships to the region will likely not help achieve that,” he added.
European Union: “It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that’s why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard,” Kaja Kallas, the top E.U. diplomat, told reporters on Monday. She was speaking before a meeting of European foreign ministers, who were expected to discuss what E.U. countries can do to protect the strait.
Britain: Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that his government was working with allies on a viable plan to reopen the strait but cautioned that Britain would not be “drawn into wider war,” a day after speaking with Mr. Trump about the strait and the disruptions to global shipping. Mr. Starmer did not say if Britain would send warships to the Gulf, but he urged a “swift resolution” to the conflict.
Australia: Australia does not intend to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz, Catherine King, the transport minister, said on Monday. “We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” Ms. King told Australia’s national broadcaster.
Japan: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Parliament on Monday that Japan had no plans to send warships to the Persian Gulf. Japan’s pacifist constitution limits military engagement in wars and a senior Japanese official had previously warned that any decision to deploy warships would face “high hurdles.” Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, told the Japanese public broadcaster NHK on Sunday that the country would have to be cautious. The issue may come up during Ms. Takaichi’s planned meeting with Mr. Trump in Washington on Thursday.
China: China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, has not responded directly to Mr. Trump’s remarks but has previously called for the cessation of hostilities. On Monday, Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said the two sides were still discussing Mr. Trump’s planned visit to Beijing. The spokesman reiterated that China was committed to de-escalating the conflict.
France: France has also not responded directly to Mr. Trump’s call publicly. President Emmanuel Macron has said that he would be willing to use the French navy to escort ships but only if the conflict stabilized. On Sunday, Mr. Macron wrote on social media that he had spoken with President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran and told him that Tehran needed to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and reopen it to shipping.
South Korea: The office of President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea said in a statement that it would “communicate closely with the United States,” but did not make any commitments.
Ravi Mattu is the managing editor of DealBook, based in London. He joined The New York Times in 2022 from the Financial Times, where he held a number of senior roles in Hong Kong and London.
11 comments:
MEXICANS can relate to COWARDS; TRUMP could care less what you COWARD Mexicans think...
Trump briefed that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is probably gay — and president has priceless reaction
By Steven Nelson
Published March 16, 2026, 7:00 a.m. ET
Trump Briefed That Iran’s New Supreme Leader is Probably Gay
00:32
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02:53
WASHINGTON — President Trump was stunned to learn last week that US intelligence indicates new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei may be gay — and that his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, feared his suitability to rule the Islamic Republic for that reason, The Post can reveal.
Trump couldn’t contain his surprise and laughed aloud when he was briefed on the intel, according to sources.
Others in the room also found it “hilarious” and joined the president’s reaction, while one senior intelligence official “has not stopped laughing about it for days,” said one person familiar with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei may be gay, according to US intelligence briefed to President Trump.
The shocking claim was described to The Post by two intelligence community officials and a third person close to the White House.
All three sources say the implausible-sounding allegation is viewed as credible by US spy agencies, rather than false information intended to undermine Khamenei, 56, who was selected to replace his dead father as supreme leader on March 8.
Two of the sources said the intelligence indicated that Mojtaba, who earned the nickname “the power behind the robes” while serving as his aging dad’s gatekeeper, has had a long-term sexual relationship with his childhood tutor. 😘😘😘🤣😂🤗😝😆
Are you talking about coward-in-chief, bone spurs Trump? How about “dead soldiers are losers”? Stop kissing Whitey’s ass.
10:48 We don’t know, or care, if the cat is gay. What we do know is that Iran’s military has not been decimated as Trump claims. Hormuz is closed. With the exceptions of India, China and anyone else that Iran permits to travel. No one is coming to assist the Trump regime. Israel and the US thought that this would be a
cakewalk. They were warned.
My man, you can keep crying all you want.
😜🫡🇺🇸
El valiente nomás es valiente mientras el cobarde lo deja.
The valient is only valient as long as the coward lets him.
Our president is the laughing stock.
Hey Juan, you're TDS is showing.
The problem is that Mexicans don't think. They rely on their democratic politicians to think for them.
2:28. You’re mistaking facts for weakness. You see what you want to see. Everyone else sees reality.
☕️😂😂😂
Top Iran security official Ali Larijani killed days after goading US and Israel in live interview
Where’s the “commie” clown?
Trump is the head commie. Letting Russia sell oil and make jillion$. At the same time they are helping Iran target our troops and allies. What’s wrong with this picture? Let’s hear the commie clown 🤡 spin on that. Blame Biden?
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