Despite a series of high-pressure Truth Social posts and direct phone calls from the White House, President Donald Trump’s request for global powers to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz has been met with a wall of diplomatic NO.
Not ready’ for escalation
In a tense weekend phone call, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly told President Trump that the UK is not prepared to commit Royal Navy destroyers to the blockaded waterway. While the US has been “bombing the hell out of the shoreline,” London remains wary of being dragged into a broader regional war.
“It is very important that we get the Strait of Hormuz reopened,” Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC on Sunday. “There are different ways that we could contribute, including with mine-hunting drones… but we must ensure we don’t escalate this crisis.”
Australia and Japan close the door
The rejection wasn’t limited to the Atlantic. In Canberra, Transport Minister Catherine King was blunt about Australia’s lack of interest in a naval deployment.
“I’m informed that we’re not intending to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz,” King told ABC Radio. “We’re well-prepared here to weather the economic crisis… but we’re not planning to send a ship.”
Japan, which relies on the Strait for nearly 70% of its oil, also officially turned down the request, citing constitutional and legal hurdles. Takayuki Kobayashi, a top policy official for the ruling LDP, stated on NHK that the threshold for sending the Self-Defense Forces into an active war zone remains “extremely high.”
The President, frustrated by the lukewarm response from traditional allies, has pivoted his pressure toward Beijing. Trump noted that because China is the primary beneficiary of the oil flowing through the Strait, they should bear the cost of its defense.
“China gets 90% of its oil from the Straits,” Trump told the Financial Times. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries will help make sure nothing bad happens.”
With the UK, Japan, and Australia standing down, the US finds itself increasingly alone in its military efforts to break the Iranian blockade.
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