European allies refuse US request to help open Strait of Hormuz

European allies refuse US request to help open Strait of Hormuz Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/16/2026 - 13:18 UK, Germany, Spain and France among those unwilling to send navy to re-open crucial waterway Smoke rises from the Thai bulk carrier 'Mayuree Naree' near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack, on 11 March 2026 (Handout/Royal Thai Navy/AFP) Off European allies have pushed back on a US request to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz, with Germany stating outright that the conflict with Iran was "not Nato's war