'It's not our war': Europe responds to Trump's plea for help on Hormuz

Over the weekend, holding court with journalists on Air Force One, US President Donald Trump said his administration was talking to seven countries about helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz. 

The waterway, a crucial conduit of a fifth of the world's oil supply which at one point narrows to 40 kilometers wide off Iran, has been targeted by Tehran in response to the US-Israel attack on Iran. 

"I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory," Trump said. "It's the place from which they get their energy."

Though he declined to identify the seven governments that his administration has contacted, Trump said he expected many countries to send warships to escort shipping through the strait. 

However, it hasn't quite worked out that way – and here we look at the response from Europe to the cry for help in Hormuz.

European Union 

"Nobody is ready to put their people in harm's way in the Strait of Hormuz," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. "We have to find... diplomatic ways to keep this open so that we don't have a... food crisis, fertilizers crisis, energy crisis in the world."

Kallas said EU foreign ministers, meeting on Monday, decided against extending the remit of their small naval mission in the Red Sea. 

"There was in our discussions a clear wish to strengthen this operation, but for the time being there was no appetite in changing the mandate," Kallas said.

Germany 

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday that Germany would not participate with its military in securing the Strait.

"What does Donald Trump expect from a handful or two handfuls of European frigates in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful American Navy cannot accomplish there alone?" Pistorius asked. 

"I see absolutely no reason to do so. It's not our war. We didn't start it…. This war started without any consultation beforehand. We can't be everywhere in every place supporting a war that we didn't start. 

"We are ready to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz diplomatically. However, there will be no military participation."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also ruled out any military activity, saying "There was never a joint decision on whether to intervene. That is why the question of how Germany might contribute militarily does not arise. We will not do so."

UK

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would not be "drawn into the wider Iran war" whilst reiterating he was working with allies to reopen the Strait. He did not rule out any form of action but insisted it would have to be agreed with "as many partners as possible."

"We are working with others to come up with a credible plan for the Strait of Hormuz to ensure that we can reopen shipping and passage through the Strait. Let me be clear, that won't be and it's never been envisioned to be a NATO mission," he told reporters.

France 

President Emmanuel Macron has discussed a potential international mission to escort ships "when circumstances permit," but officials have stressed the need for de-escalation first. 

On Thursday, Macron had said France's military build-up in the eastern Mediterranean is strictly "defensive" and insisted "We are not at war with anyone."

On social platform X, the French foreign ministry stated "Let's be clear: There is no change in posture and the aircraft carrier strike group remains deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. France's mission remains defensive [and] protective."

Spain 

Spain will not take part in any military mission in the Strait of Hormuz because it considers the US-Israeli attack on Iran to be illegal, Madrid's defense and foreign affairs ministers said on Monday.

Defense Minister Margarita Robles said "Spain will never accept any stopgap measures, because the objective must be for the war to end, and for it to end now."

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares added: "We mustn't do anything that would add even more tension or cause the situation to escalate further."

Italy 

Speaking after Monday's meeting with his fellow EU foreign ministers, Italy's Antonio Tajani said "diplomacy needs to prevail" and his country was involved in no naval missions that could be extended to the area. He also ruled out expanding the EU's Red Sea missions to the strait of Hormuz, "since they are anti-piracy and defensive missions".

Denmark 

Despite Denmark's clashes with the US over Greenland, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen – speaking ahead of the EU meeting – said "as the small country that we are, but a large maritime nation, we must remain open to this question." 

"We must face the world as it is, not as we want it to be", he told journalists. "Denmark is a seafaring nation and we have in every way an interest in making sure that the free navigation remains open."

Norway

Speaking at a Nordic-Canadian summit in Oslo on Sunday, Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store noted that Nordic countries did not start the ongoing conflict, although they would like to see peace. 

"We will use any channel we have, any opportunity we have to urge the parties to find a way that will not escalate this war," Store said. "It's not our war. It seems to us that the plan for how it will develop is pretty unclear. And that's the danger with initiating wars – that they rarely follow a script."

Greece 

Greece will not engage in any military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said on Monday.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis spoke against the idea of individual nations striking deals to navigate the strait. 

"We do not think that it is optimal to have separate agreements, so that ships enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz," Gerapetritis said. "What we want is a well-established lasting solution, which will ensure peace and this can only be done under a wider alliance and under the auspices of international organizations and in particular the United Nations."

Netherlands 

The Netherlands would have "an open mind" about any request to contribute to a mission to protect trade flows in the Strait of Hormuz, but the current level of attacks there make it impossible to help now, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said on Monday.

"As always the Netherlands is open to suggestions, but at the moment there is no firm plan on the table," Jetten told journalists. 

"We have to be honest. With the current number of attacks taking place, it is going to be very difficult to put a mission in place in the short term."

Poland 

Poland's government "does not plan any expedition to Iran, and this does not raise any doubts on the part of our allies," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

"Poland will not send its troops to Iran. This conflict does not directly affect our security. This applies to our land, air and naval forces," he said, adding that allies, including the United States, "understand this very well" and that "there is no reason for concern."