Governments around the world are responding cautiously to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for countries to send naval ships to the Strait of Hormuz to protect commercial shipping and help restore the flow of global oil supplies.
The strait - a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman - is one of the most critical energy routes in the world. Roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through it. But the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has largely shut the route to tanker traffic, pushing up oil prices and raising fears of wider economic disruption.
Over the weekend, Trump urged several nations, including the United Kingdom, China, France, Japan and South Korea, to deploy ships to the area. Writing on his Truth Social platform, he argued that protecting the shipping lane should be a shared international responsibility.
In an interview with the Financial Times later on Sunday, Trump sharpened his message, warning that failing to safeguard the waterway could have consequences for the future of NATO.
So far, however, the response from many governments has been measured - and in some cases reluctant.
In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK was working with allies to find a practical way to help reopen the strait, but he made clear that any action would not be carried out under a NATO mission.
Officials say discussions are continuing behind the scenes, reflecting the delicate balance many governments are trying to strike between protecting trade routes and avoiding deeper military involvement in the conflict.
Germany has taken a firmer stance. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin would not take part in a mission to secure the strait.
“This is not our war. We did not start it,” he said, signalling that Germany does not see a military role for itself in the crisis.
In Asia, both South Korea and Japan have responded cautiously.
South Korea’s presidential office said Seoul would remain in close contact with Washington and would review the situation carefully before making any decision.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi went further, telling parliament that Tokyo is not currently considering launching a maritime security operation linked to the conflict.
Australia has also indicated it will stay out of the mission. Cabinet minister Catherine King told national broadcaster ABC that Canberra does not plan to deploy naval vessels to the strait.
China, one of the world’s largest energy importers and heavily reliant on Gulf oil, has not directly answered whether it would participate in a naval effort.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington instead stressed that all parties share responsibility for ensuring energy supplies remain stable and that shipping routes remain open.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States a...
At least three paramilitary troops and three suspected militants were killed after heavily armed attackers stormed a Rangers security compound in Paki...
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade....
The death toll in the twin earthquakes which rocked Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday. Ano...
The Central African Republic declared a cholera outbreak after 197 cases, including 24 deaths, were confirmed in two health districts southwest of the...
At least three paramilitary troops and three suspected militants were killed after heavily armed attackers stormed a Rangers security compound in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, authorities said.
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
A light aircraft crash into a high-rise building in Beijing's Chaoyang district on Friday killed one person and injured 13, the district government said on Saturday in a statement posted on its social media account.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Japan remained on high alert Saturday as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the eastern coast after Typhoon Higos weakened into a tropical depression. Authorities warned of continued heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, according to media reports.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed their interim peace deal.
ANEWZ can exclusively report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Azerbaijan on 1 July.
Protesters gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs after Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement in Washington aimed at ending fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near Oman, with two U.S. officials accusing Iran of the attack.
Kazakhstan has not received an official request from Russia for petrol supplies, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said, as fuel shortages and sales restrictions in Russia raise concerns over fuel supplies across Central Asia.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday (26 June) condemned as "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative" a statement issued following a joint meeting of foreign ministers from the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Manama, Bahrain.
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, marking another milestone in the carrier's long-term fleet modernisation programme aimed at improving efficiency, expanding capacity and enhancing the passenger experience.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment