A growing number of U.S. allies are declining to take part in military efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, despite mounting pressure from Washington.
From Europe to the Indo-Pacific, governments are signaling reluctance to be drawn into direct military action, instead emphasizing diplomacy, legal constraints or limited defensive contributions.
France has ruled out any military role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, stressing a diplomatic approach. In an Donald Trump, however, suggested Monday he expects support from French President Emmanuel Macron.
"I think he's going to help. I mean, I'll let you know. I spoke to him yesterday. I don't do a hard sell on them because my attitude is we don't need anybody. We're the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world. We don't need them," Trump said at the White House. "But, it's interesting. I'm almost doing it in some cases, not because we need them, but because I want to find out how they react."
Germany has rejected military involvement, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz stating the conflict falls outside NATO’s scope. "We will not participate in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz by military means. The war in the Middle East is not a matter for NATO," he said in a post on X. "Therefore, Germany will also not become involved militarily."
Australia has declined to send ships to the strait despite U.S. calls for support. In an interview on ABC Radio National on Monday, Catherine King, minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government, said, "We won't be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is, but that's not something that we've been asked or that we're contributing to."
She noted Australia’s current contribution is limited to support in the United Arab Emirates, including providing aircraft to assist with defense given the number of Australians in the country.
Ireland has ruled out participation in any EU naval mission to reopen the strategic waterway. Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Micheál Martin told reporters ahead of his meeting with Trump, "We don’t have that offensive military capacity in any shape or form, so obviously it’s not something that’s on our agenda," according to the Irish Examiner. "The world is in a very challenging situation and no one likes war. We certainly don’t as a country, and we want a specific resolution."
"Legally speaking, this is very difficult," Takaichi added. "We are carefully examining what can be done within the scope of current laws and what is the best course of action at this time. At the same time, we are continuing to engage with Iran to help de-escalate the situation while also exchanging information with various countries."