EUROPE REJECTS US CALL FOR NAVAL DEPLOYMENT TO STRAIT OF HORMUZ

BRUSSELS, March 17 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- European countries have rejected calls from the United States (US) to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that they have no intention of engaging militarily in the escalating conflict with Iran, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

After a Brussels meeting of EU foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Monday that member states "have no desire to actively engage in military actions against Iran" and emphasised that Europe "has no interest in an open-ended war."

Kallas highlighted that the EU is focused on strengthening maritime security but confirmed there is little appetite among member states to expand current missions such as Operation Aspides in the Red Sea or extend them to the Strait of Hormuz.

"Nobody wants to go actively in this war," she said, noting the bloc’s priority remains safeguarding freedom of navigation and intensifying diplomatic efforts.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani echoed this position, underlining that EU naval missions tasked with escorting merchant vessels and anti-piracy operations are not designed to operate in the Strait of Hormuz.

"We are willing to strengthen these missions," he said, adding: "But I don’t think they can be expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz."

Germany also ruled out sending forces to the Gulf. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin "will not do so" and called for a swift political solution to the conflict.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius warned that deploying forces outside NATO's area would require legal approval and parliamentary consent, noting: "It is not our war; we did not start it. We want a diplomatic solution and a swift end to the conflict."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer similarly dismissed US pressure to join a military effort in the region, stating that Britain "will not be drawn into a wider war" and stressing that any deployment must have a legal mandate.

Poland and Belgium also reaffirmed their focus on diplomacy and regional stability, rejecting calls from Washington to contribute naval assets.

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski criticised US President Donald Trump for framing NATO as separate from the US while urging European participation in military operations in the Gulf.

Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever confirmed his government’s position, telling parliament that Belgium will not join any offensive alongside the US and Israel.

Earlier Monday, Trump said "numerous countries" were preparing to assist the US in reopening the Strait of Hormuz but did not name them, citing concerns they could be targeted by Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz has been at the centre of global energy market concerns since Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its closure to most vessels amid US-Israeli attacks on the country that began on Feb 28.

Before the war, about 20 million barrels of oil passed through the strait daily. Its disruption has driven oil prices higher.

US-Israeli attacks on Iran have so far killed more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU