Trump Asks NATO to Babysit Strait of Hormuz, Allies Pass with Side Eye

KEY POINTS

•The White House is combining military strikes and diplomatic begging to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid an Iranian blockade.
•Trump personally lobbied leaders like U.K.'s Keir Starmer and France's Emmanuel Macron, with mixed signals on coalition participation.
•European countries including Germany declined naval support, with EU officials stating there is no appetite to join America's war.

In a move sure to warm the cockles of international friendship, the Trump administration begged allies including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the Gulf states, and even Jordan to join a naval coalition to pry open the Strait of Hormuz — the world's most dramatic oil traffic jam. Keir Starmer from the U.K. played along enough to get hopes up, while Emmanuel Macron was 8 out of 10 willing but ultimately treated the idea like an awkward date—noncommittal with a dash of 'maybe later.' Germany, Italy, and Japan basically RSVP'd 'hell no,' pushing the White House's diplomacy to 'a mess' status. Trump tweeted disappointment, citing decades of protection yet receiving lukewarm enthusiasm in return—a classic case of 'I was your wingman, now halo off.' European EU bigwig Kaja Kallas snapped, 'This is not Europe’s war,' while behind the scenes, U.S. strikes are playing whack-a-mole with Iranian anti-ship stuff. Allies wanting Gulf oil but skipping naval duty gives new meaning to 'do as I say, not as I do.'