Trump Demands NATO Help in Strait of Hormuz, But Allies Aren't Biting

President Trump is calling on U.S. allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but so far, those allies are saying no.

Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social urging "countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait" to step in and secure the waterway. In a Financial Times interview the same day, he warned that NATO would have "a very bad future" if member nations refused to help.

Iran effectively shut down the trade route last month following the American-Israeli military assault, sending global oil prices surging and raising fears of a wider economic shock, exactly what economists had warned could happen before the war began.

The response from Europe has been cold. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday: "This is not our war, we have not started it." Spain's government refused the demand. Italy, whose Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has positioned herself as friendly to Trump, declined to get involved.

The reluctance is widespread. From Berlin to London, leaders are expressing reservations and signaling no immediate plans to commit military resources. For now, the strait remains blocked, oil markets remain rattled, and Washington's push to build a coalition appears to be stalling before it starts.