EditNATO’s Rutte presses allies for swift Hormuz commitments to satisfy Trump
Multiple European diplomats and officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, portrayed the Hormuz request as a bridge too far without preconditions
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has told European governments that President Donald Trump is demanding concrete commitments within days to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats said.
The message from Rutte – who met Trump at the White House on Wednesday – underscores the intense pressure on Europe amid Trump’s threats to pull the United States out of NATO over what he sees as insufficient allied support for the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran. Yet behind the scenes, the alliance’s European members are drawing a firm line.
Rutte, often described in Europe as the “Trump whisperer,” emerged from the White House meeting sounding upbeat. In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington on Thursday, he declared that while some allies were initially “a bit slow” and “a bit surprised,” there is now “a massive amount” of support, including basing and logistics.
“Nearly without exception, allies are doing everything the United States is asking,” he said. “They have heard and are responding to President Trump’s requests.”
NATO’s official spokesperson echoed the urgency, stating that “the United States expects concrete commitments and action to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
But key allies tell a markedly different story.
Multiple European diplomats and officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, portrayed the Hormuz request as a bridge too far without preconditions. One diplomat said bluntly: “We note the frustration in Washington, but they did not consult allies either before or after starting this war.” Another added: “NATO as such would not play a role in the war against Iran.”
Several governments have signaled they are willing to help reopen the vital oil chokepoint – which Iran has effectively blocked during the conflict – but only after a durable cessation of hostilities and a clear agreement with Tehran that their ships will not be attacked. “We are willing to make the right noises and even the right actions down the line,” a second European diplomat said. “But ultimately the problem is not to please the U.S. but to have the right conditions in place.”
A senior European official summed up the mood inside the alliance: “The NATO community is more worried right now than confident. The meeting did not take the worry away.”
Trump himself amplified the rift. After his meeting with Rutte, he posted on Truth Social in all capital letters: “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again.”
Britain is leading a broader group of about 40 countries trying to devise a military and diplomatic plan to safeguard Hormuz, while French President Emmanuel Macron said roughly 15 nations are working to facilitate the resumption of traffic. Yet both Paris and London have made clear that a full reopening is impossible without a lasting U.S.-Iran agreement, and that Tehran’s demand for a toll on shipping is unacceptable.
The Hormuz dispute is the latest flashpoint in a transatlantic relationship already strained by Trump’s earlier threats to seize Greenland from Denmark. Rutte himself acknowledged the alliance is in “a period of profound change,” with Europe “assuming a greater and fairer share” of its own defense.
Despite the fragile two-week US-Iran ceasefire announced by Trump on Tuesday, which he presented as hinging on Iran’s agreement to the complete, immediate, and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz, oil flows through the vital chokepoint remained virtually paralyzed. In the first 24 hours after the truce took effect, only one oil products tanker and five dry bulk carriers transited the strait – a fraction of the normal 140 ships per day that carry about one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies.
Trump, who had tied the suspension of US attacks on Iran directly to the reopening of Hormuz, expressed clear frustration late Thursday. In a Truth Social post he wrote that Iran was doing a “very poor job” of allowing oil to flow through the strait, adding pointedly: “That is not the agreement we have!” In a separate post he insisted “oil would start flowing again,” underscoring his belief that the ceasefire deal would promptly restore shipping. Yet shipping data showed traffic had fallen to less than 10% of its historical average, highlighting the gap between Trump’s expectations and the reality on the water.
With Reuters, edited by g.g.
Caption: Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte speaks at the Reagan Center in Washington, DC, USA, 9 April 2026. US President Trump criticized NATO member countries’ response to the US-Israeli war against Iran during a meeting with the alliance’s chief on 8 April. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Updated: April 10, 2026 - 06:33
