NATO is starting to consider Hormuz deployment to protect ships
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the port city of Khasab in northern Oman.
PHOTO: AFP
BRUSSELS – NATO is discussing the possibility of helping ships pass through the blocked Strait of Hormuz if the waterway is not reopened by early July, a senior official in the military alliance has said.
The idea has support from several members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 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 on July 7 to 8.
Such a move would represent a shift in the military alliance’s strategy toward 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.
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 Iran in late February.
The passageway has since become a source of tension between the US and its European allies in NATO that refused to heed President Donald Trump’s demands that they help reopen the strait.
Mr Trump has repeatedly fumed about the reaction, and Washington recently announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.
The senior NATO official said 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 several allies do support intervening to help reopen the strait, but cautioned that others are still reluctant to be dragged into the conflict.
Some NATO members like 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 Britain 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 Mr Trump, whose anger has been specifically targeted at Germany. So far, however, the US has made no formal request for NATO involvement in the strait. BLOOMBERG
