A new split has opened inside the Western alliance over how to respond to the Iran war and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. NATO allies including Britain and France have refused to join President Donald Trump’s plan to blockade Iranian ports, choosing instead to back a separate multinational effort focused on restoring navigation only after fighting ends. Their refusal is likely to deepen already serious tensions between Trump and several allied governments.
The dispute centers on the next phase of the conflict. Trump announced that the U.S. military would eliminate any Iranian ships that approached the blockade, which began after weekend talks failed to produce an agreement to end the six-week war. Trump had first suggested a broader international effort to block shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. military later clarified that the blockade would apply only to ships going to or from Iranian ports. Since the war began on February 28, Iran has largely blocked the strait to all vessels except its own and has sought to make that control permanent, possibly by charging ships to pass.
For European allies, the key issue is avoiding direct entry into the conflict. Britain and France made clear they would not support the blockade itself. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said bluntly that the U.K. was not supporting it and would not be dragged into the war despite what he described as “considerable pressure.” That language suggests the Trump administration was actively pressing allies for military participation, but did not get the support it wanted.
Instead, European governments are trying to build a separate, explicitly defensive mission for the period after hostilities end. French President Emmanuel Macron said France would organize a conference with Britain and other countries to create a multinational mission to restore navigation in the strait. This proposed force would be distinct from the belligerents, would escort tankers, and would focus on safe passage rather than joining the fighting. Starmer told Parliament the goal was a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard shipping once the conflict ends. A planning meeting involving about 30 countries could happen as soon as Thursday in Paris or London.
The list of possible participants shows how broad the concern has become. Some countries expected in the planning discussions could include Gulf states, India, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The idea is to provide reassurance without acting as a combat force. One French diplomatic source said both Iran and the United States would be informed of the mission, but neither would play a direct role in it. That detail matters because it shows Europe is trying to position the mission as neutral shipping protection rather than an extension of Trump’s war strategy.
The disagreement also reveals a deeper alliance problem. Overall, this is another point of friction between Trump and NATO governments after he threatened to withdraw from the alliance and considered pulling U.S. troops from Europe when some countries denied U.S. warplanes access to their airspace for strikes on Iran. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had told European governments that Trump wanted concrete commitments soon to help secure Hormuz, but allies are resisting a direct military role.
Overall, the alliance is trying to contain both a regional war and an internal political rupture. NATO allies agree that the Strait of Hormuz must reopen, but they do not agree on Trump’s method. The U.S. wants immediate coercive pressure on Iran. Key European partners want diplomacy first and a defensive maritime mission only after the shooting stops. That divide could shape not just the next stage of the Iran conflict, but the future cohesion of the alliance itself.
