- By Akanksha Verma
- Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:02 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Strait of Hormuz Blockade: US President Donald Trump's plan to block the crucial Strait of Hormuz found no support among the NATO allies as Britain and France refused to get involved in the ongoing conflict with Iran. The NATO nations on Monday rejected Trump's proposal to aid the US military in blocking all maritime traffic in the waterway. The US announced that it would not allow any ships to pass through Hormuz after the failure of US-Iran peace talks hosted by Pakistan.
The latest refusal by NATO allies further weakens the already strained ties between the military alliance, from which Trump has threatened to pull out after the US campaign in Iran found no support. Several European nations have expressed willingness to help in Hormuz on the conditions that there's a sustainable end to hostilities and Iran agrees to stop attacking ships crossing the strait.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has clearly refused to support the blockade. "We're not supporting the blockade. My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure, and there's been some considerable pressure, we're not getting dragged into the war," he was quoted as saying by BBC.
President Emmanuel Macron said France will hold a conference with Britain and other NATO countries to discuss the creation of a multinational mission to restart navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. "This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows," Macron wrote on X.
Britain is meanwhile looking for ways to lower the insurance premiums being paid by ships passing through the strait once the conflict ends, Reuters cited a senior European official as saying.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday called for the reopening of the strait through diplomacy while expressing doubt over formation of an international body to monitor the waterway, terming it "complicated".
US Blockade In Gulf Of Oman, Arabian Sea
The US-imposed blockade was scheduled to come into effect at 1400 GMT (7.30 PM IST) on Monday. According to a note to seafarers, cited by Reuters, the US Central Command has said the US military would begin the closure in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade would prevent movement of all vessel traffic regardless of the flag. It further warned that any ship entering or departing the area without authorisation will be "subject to interception, diversion and capture".