Trump threatens NATO allies over Strait of Hormuz help : NPR

With the Iran war entering a third week and the price of oil reaching nearly $105 a barrel on Monday, President Trump again urged NATO countries and China to help the U.S. secure the vital Strait of Hormuz.

On Saturday, Trump had called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, the U.K., and others to send warships to the key shipping route, which Iran has been blocking since the war and where about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies typically pass through.

None of the countries have publicly committed to Trump’s request, and the president upped the ante in an interview with The Financial Times late Sunday, saying their failure to do so would “be very bad for the future of NATO.”

Here are more updates on the situation in the Middle East:

U.S. allies, China, respond with caution

Trump said he had asked some seven countries to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz and said some had agreed, although he did not name them.

He said it was in these countries’ interests to help, including China, which is heavily reliant on the Strait of Hormuz for its oil supply. He also said the U.S. would “remember” if NATO counterparts didn’t help.

But foreign nations have reacted cautiously to Trump’s request. In his first term in office and since returning to the presidency, Trump has rattled NATO allies by expressing scepticism about the value of the post-war alliance, slamming them for what he says is low defense spending and threatening to pull the U.S. out.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Monday she had spoken to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres about how to unblock the Strait.

“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 from the European side,” she said.

Downing Street was non-committal, saying only that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had spoken to Trump on the phone about the importance of re-opening the strait “to end the disruption to global shipping,” according to the BBC. 

British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC “you can rest assured that any options that can help to get the strait reopened are being looked at in concert with our allies.”

Starmer is due to give a press conference later Monday.

China has said only that keeping the Strait open is important for international trade, with the ministry of foreign affairs urging an end of hostilities. President Trump is due to visit China at the end of the month, but has suggested the trip could be called off, depending on Beijing’s decision on the deployment of warships.

South Korea said it was considering Trump’s request, but Japan is bound by laws that strictly limit overseas military deployments. Tokyo has suggested that operations in the Strait of Hormuz might not pass legal muster.

“We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine ‌what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament.

But Trump’s request will likely top the agenda when Takaichi visits the White House on Thursday.

Australia said it has not been asked to contribute and will not be sending ships.

Iran and Israel continue attacks, Gulf states face strikes

The Israeli Defense Forces said Monday they had “begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defense area.”

There were also reports of heavy bombing in Tehran.

The Israeli military also said it had detected Iranian missile strikes toward Israel and urged people in affected areas to seek shelter.

Meanwhile, Iran continues to target its Gulf neighbors, despite Iran’s foreign minister denying Sunday that his country was targeting civilian infrastructure.

Dubai International Airport said a drone had hit a fuel tank on Monday, causing a fire. While no injuries were reported the airport briefly suspended operations and Emirates airlines suspended flights.

Saudi Arabia also said it had come under attack by dozens of drones, which it had downed.

The humanitarian toll of the conflict has continued to rise. So far 13 U.S. service members and at least 12 Israeli civilians have died. More than 1,200 Iranian civilians have been killed and up to 3.2 million temporarily displaced. In Lebanon, more than 800 people have been killed and more than 800,000 displaced.