By Danielle
European Union leaders rejected President Trump’s call for allies to assist in opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign ministers from the 27 EU countries met in Brussels to discuss Trump’s message to help secure the waterway that plays a strategic role in global oil markets.
“This is not Europe’s war,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
She said there was “no appetite” from the member states to expand the EU naval mission in the Middle East to the Strait of Hormuz.
“Nobody wants to go actively in this war,” she added.
The European Union has rejected President Trump’s call for allied naval support to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The European Union says, “This is not Europe’s war,” and is basically telling the United States, “You’re on your own.”
“Nobody wants to go actively into this war.” pic.twitter.com/B2vFgmk54I
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) March 16, 2026
More from The Times of Israel:
US President Donald Trump has called on other nations to help police the strait after Iran responded to US-Israeli attacks by using drones, missiles and mines to effectively close the channel for tankers that normally transport a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.
The EU’s Aspides mission — named after the Greek word for “shields” — was established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.
“There was in our discussions a clear wish to strengthen this operation, but for the time being, there was no appetite in changing the mandate of the operation,” Kallas tells reporters after a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels.