NATO countries discuss joint move to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, Rutte says
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Getty Images)
NATO allies are discussing how to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil exports, stated NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to CNN.
Rutte emphasized the importance of the Strait of Hormuz and added that he is in contact with "many" allies regarding its blockade amid the war in the Middle East.
"We all agree, of course, that the strait has to open up again. And what I know is that allies are working together, discussing how to do that, what is the best way to do it. They are working on that collectively to find a way forward," Rutte said.
Trump’s call
Earlier, US President Donald Trump called on countries that receive oil via the Strait of Hormuz to take part in the US-Israeli operation against Iran.
The American leader wanted allies to send their military ships to the Strait of Hormuz and help unblock it.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, responding to the call, stressed that this is not Germany's war. According to him, deploying German warships to the Middle East would hardly help resolve the conflict through diplomatic means.
At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that his country would not take part in the war against Iran.
Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz following the start of the US-Israeli operation. As a result, global oil prices surged as Gulf countries export oil through the strait.
