Nato is starting to consider Strait of Hormuz mission to protect ships
Some countries, such as Spain, have been unequivocal in their opposition to the war
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[BRUSSELS] North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) is discussing the possibility of helping ships pass through the blocked Strait of Hormuz if the waterway is not reopened by early July, according to a senior official in the military alliance.
The idea has support from several members of Nato, but does not yet have the necessary unanimous support, said a diplomat from a Nato country. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity. Leaders from Nato countries will meet in Ankara from Jul 7 to 8.
“The political direction comes first, and then the formal planning happens after that,” said Alexus Grynkewich, Nato’s supreme allied commander Europe, when asked about the possibility at a Tuesday press conference. “Am I thinking about it? Absolutely.”
Such a move would represent a shift in the military alliance’s strategy towards the US-Israeli war in Iran. Thus far, allies have insisted they would only be involved in the strait once fighting has stopped and they can form a broad coalition that includes many non-Nato countries.
But economic woes are deepening, with the strait’s closure sending energy prices soaring and growth forecasts tumbling.
It’s unclear exactly how Nato countries could guarantee safe passage for commercial vessels through the strait. A recent US attempt to do that was halted within days of being launched, despite Washington’s considerable military capabilities.
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A spokesperson for Nato did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Iran initially blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which transits roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, after the US and Israel began bombing the country in late February.
The passageway has since become a source of tension between the US and its European allies in Nato, who refused to heed US President Donald Trump’s demands that they help reopen the strait.
Trump has repeatedly fumed about the reaction and Washington recently announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.
The senior Nato official said that while some allies still oppose authorising an alliance mission for the strait, they would rally around the idea if the blockage persists.
The Nato diplomat said that several allies do support intervening to help reopen the strait, but cautioned that others are still reluctant to be dragged into the conflict.
Grynkewich said that it was in the allies’ interest to get commercial vessels moving again through the strait, noting that Iran had fired several missiles into alliance territory.
“The stoppage,” he said, “is affecting all of our economies in a very negative way – and affecting our economies affects our military industrial capacity over the long term”.
While Nato allies are unified in wanting the strait reopened, they have taken slightly different approaches to the war.
Some countries, such as Spain, have been unequivocal in their opposition to the war. Madrid even barred the US from using its airspace and bases to attack Iran. Most allies, however, have quietly granted access to their bases to provide logistical support.
A coalition led by France and the UK is also developing a plan to help secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once the fighting abates. Some countries have even positioned assets in the area in preparation.
That has not been enough to placate Trump, whose anger has been specifically targeted at Germany. So far, though, the US has made no formal request for Nato involvement in the strait, Bloomberg previously reported. BLOOMBERG
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