So far, NATO countries at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters have not been briefed on the meeting, according to two senior alliance diplomats, nor have they begun discussing the deployment of military equipment to reopen the strait.
Standing ready
U.S. allies have repeatedly pledged to help restart shipping along the Strait of Hormuz trade chokepoint — but only once the fighting fully stops.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said he had “encouraged” Trump to “pursue the negotiations in earnest” on ending the war with Iran during a call with the president on Wednesday.
“At the same time, I assured him that, following a peace agreement, Germany will help ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, provided there is a mandate and a viable plan for doing so,” he told reporters. “We do not want this war — which has become a transatlantic stress test — to further strain relations between the United States and its European NATO partners.”
On Wednesday, France’s top military commander, Gen. Fabien Mandon, similarly said Paris was looking at “strictly defensive” military options to assist.
“For the past week, we have been hosting officers from various nations who have chosen to participate in this initiative aimed at helping to restore maritime navigation,” he said. “The planning phase is moving forward, with the shared goal of promoting the safety of maritime navigation in this strategic area.”