Germany and the UK have reportedly refused US requests to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump's efforts to form a military coalition against Iran.
European powers are resisting pressure from US President Donald Trump to join a military coalition against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state and military-aligned media. Following a series of severe explosions in western Tehran early on March 16—which local opposition sources attributed to US and Israeli forces—Iranian outlets are heavily amplifying narratives of Western disunity and military hesitation.
The state-aligned فارس بینالملل و سیاست خارجی cited a report from the Daily Telegraph indicating that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused requests from the US President to send British warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Germany has similarly declined military involvement. Popular news channel آخرین خبر and breaking news outlet اخبارفوری خبرفوری جنگ امریکا حمله reported that German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told the ARD network that Germany will not expand the EU Aspides naval mission to the Strait. Wadephul stated explicitly that Germany will not become an active party in the US and Israeli war against Iran, adding that the only way to guarantee security in the Strait of Hormuz is through negotiations with Iran. Fars News emphasized that Wadephul acknowledged the ineffectiveness of current EU operations against Yemeni attacks in the Red Sea.
Iranian sources are also highlighting perceived US strategic failures and isolation. The IRGC-affiliated کانال اخبار سپاه پاسداران 🏴 quoted former US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, claiming Trump has lost control of the war. Kendall reportedly described the ongoing conflict as a strategic mistake in dimensions never seen before, asserting that American plans to instigate popular uprisings and force Iranian capitulation have yielded no results. He emphasized that Iranians can maintain their blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for a long time, preventing any ships from passing.
Reinforcing this narrative of Western reluctance, Fars News quoted Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations, who noted that despite Trump's threats to NATO countries, the United States and its allies are unwilling to use military tools to secure shipping in the contested waterway.
The Iranian sources universally refer to Johann Wadephul as the German Foreign Minister. While Wadephul is an active German politician (CDU), the sources' designation of his title was maintained to reflect the original reporting. The translation faithfully preserves the Iranian framing of a US and Israeli war against Iran as instructed, without sanitizing the loaded rhetoric.