German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that his country does not envision a role for the NATO defense alliance in tackling the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.
“I don’t see that NATO has made any decision in this direction or could assume responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz. If that were the case, then the NATO bodies would address it accordingly,” said Wadephul in Brussels ahead of a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
His remarks came as a response to US President Donald Trump’s intensified pressure on European allies to play an active role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, cautioning that NATO could face a “very bad” future if its members do not respond to Washington’s call for support.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
One of the US-Israel strikes had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His killing has raised critical questions concerning Iran’s future.
As a critical maritime chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz handles approximately a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and roughly one‑fifth of all liquefied natural gas flows.
Due to the escalating tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared on Saturday that the waterway was unsafe. Therefore, the authorities halted ship movements.
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US CENTCOM Warns Iran over Unsafe Actions in Hormuz
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