BERLIN, April 9– NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has informed European countries that Washington expects concrete commitments to deploying warships or other military capabilities to the Strait of Hormuz within the coming days, German magazine Der Spiegel said on Thursday on its website.
Rutte visited Washington on Wednesday and met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, during which Trump expressed his disappointment with NATO allies during the U.S. war with Iran, which began on Feb. 28 after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
Several European diplomats briefed on this matter described Trump’s demand as essentially an “ultimatum,” said the report by Der Spiegel. Purely political pledges, such as those seen since the start of the conflict, are reportedly no longer sufficient, said the report.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor accounting for around 20 percent of global oil flows, was effectively closed during the conflict, which pushed up oil prices significantly. Despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, uncertainty surrounds the situation in the Strait.
Trump sought to form a coalition in March to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but the initiative faced strong resistance from European countries.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday said in a statement that Germany will contribute “in appropriate ways” to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. But Merz had previously stressed that NATO is a “defense alliance” rather than an “intervention alliance” and that as long as the conflict continues, Germany will not participate in military measures to ensure free navigation in the strait.
Der Spiegel also noted that Trump is compiling a list categorizing European NATO allies based on whether they supported or opposed the U.S. war against Iran, with Spain expected to be a primary focus. Trump intends to withdraw U.S. troops from countries that prove uncooperative, it said, quoting U.S. media reports. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
