Trump publicly begged his closest allies to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, and every single one of them said no within 24 hours

Major U.S. allies are refusing President Donald Trump’s request to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, with several key nations declining within a day of his public appeal, marking a significant diplomatic snub. Trump took to Truth Social to call on several countries to help reopen the critical waterway.

“We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” Trump wrote. 

He added, “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others…will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat.” According to The Daily Beast, the Strait of Hormuz was closed off by Iran on March 2, dropping average daily ship traffic from 60 to just two, according to hormuzstraitmonitor.com. This has pushed the average U.S. gas price to $3.70 per gallon, over 22 percent higher than $2.94 just a month ago.

The refusals from close allies deal a serious blow to Trump’s push for military support in the region

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made it clear he would not be sending warships. The UK’s energy minister, Ed Miliband, stated that while they are looking at “any options” to restart shipping, de-escalation remains the “best and simplest way” forward. Starmer has been hesitant to get involved with Trump’s more aggressive actions in the Middle East, even as Trump escalated strikes against Iranian targets.

Australia also confirmed it would not send any naval ships to the Strait of Hormuz. This is particularly significant since both the U.S. and these two allies are the only countries with combat-ready Tomahawk cruise missiles, making their absence a notable blow to Trump’s call for military reinforcement.

France, Japan, and South Korea have signaled a similar reluctance to commit naval forces. France’s foreign office clarified on X that it would not be sending the ships Trump requested. The official post read, “No. The [French] aircraft carrier strike group remains in the Eastern Mediterranean. France’s posture is unchanged: Defensive. Protective. Stop the scaremongering.”

Since U.S. and Israeli forces began strikes on Iran late last month, 13 American service members have lost their lives. In Iran, over 1,400 people have been killed and more than 18,000 injured, according to the latest figures. Meanwhile, Trump has also been making key personnel changes back home, including shaking up his own administration’s leadership roles.