BERLIN/PARIS: For a self-described Transatlanticist like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the language has been unusually blunt. When President Donald Trump asked countries to join a global effort against Iran and deploy ships to prise open the Strait of Hormuz, whose near closure has held the global economy in a vice, he was rebuffed by some of America’s closest allies. Merz told German lawmakers on Wednesday he agreed Iran must not be allowed to pose a threat to its neighbors but expressed doubts about the rationale behind the US-Israeli war.

European leaders are hesitant to help Trump secure the Strait of Hormuz, but they know inaction on the Iran war isn't really an option.

As EU foreign ministers weigh joining a U.S. coalition in the Persian Gulf, allies are demanding clarity on war aims, warning it's not NATO's fight.