NATO is quietly discussing a military mission to unblock oil routes, under pressure from Donald Trump
Amid stifling global economy and escalating conflict with Iran, the North Atlantic Alliance is considering a naval intervention in the planet's hottest maritime hotspot. Behind the scenes, Europeans are trying to temper the unpredictable decisions of the White House and are looking for desperate solutions to finance Ukraine.
The Strait of Hormuz, blocked after the American-Israeli attack on Iran/PHOTO:X
The prolonged standoff in the Strait of Hormuz forces NATO to reassess its strategic posture outside its traditional base of operations. According to the Bloomberg agency, intensive informal consultations are currently underway at the NATO level regarding the possibility of creating a special military mission in this vital strait for global trade. The purpose of the operation would be to ensure the security and freedom of international navigation, after Iran kept the route completely closed in response to the US-Israeli attacks launched at the end of February.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the existence of these diplomatic gropings, stressing, however, that the talks are unofficial and that no political decision or approved action plan has yet been adopted:
“These are informal discussions, but listen to me, the situation is extremely dynamic“, Rutte told reporters in Brussels, adding that the Alliance is looking at whether it can play “a positive role” in mitigating the crises rocking global energy markets.
Between diplomatic caution and exploding energy prices
This opening marks a major paradigm shift within NATO. Until recently, Western allies have consistently rejected the idea of intervening militarily in the crisis before hostilities cease. However, the prolonged blockade is suffocating European economies by fueling inflation and skyrocketing fuel prices. Diplomatic sources indicate that NATO is considering escorting merchant ships through the strait if it is not reopened through diplomatic channels by early July.
The Iranian file will be the main topic of debate at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, scheduled in Sweden. Although at the moment the political unanimity necessary for the official launch of the mission is lacking, General Alexus Grynkewich, one of the high-ranking commanders of the Alliance, confirmed that the military structures are “definitely” thinking about the tactical options in the field.
The stake is twofold
Beyond the transportation of hydrocarbons, the strait houses the undersea fiber optic cable backbones that provide the bulk of digital traffic between Europe and Asia, infrastructure that Tehran recently threatened to subject to a restrictive licensing regime. However, the blockage is not hermetic; recently, an Iranian tanker managed to breach the US naval blockade, sailing towards China despite strict surveillance.
The withdrawal game and Trump's reproaches
The meeting in Sweden also has a strong character of managing the strained relationship with Washington. European allies will try to gauge whether President Donald Trump's displeasure over Europe's response to the Iran war has softened. This White House irritation recently culminated in Trump's decision to withdraw 5,000 US troops from the European continent. Although Mark Rutte assured that this reduction does not affect the defense capability of the Alliance, European leaders plan to formally ask the US to avoid unilateral and unexpected announcements of troop movements in the future.
To demonstrate Europe's usefulness to a deeply transactional American administration, foreign ministers will prepare the ground for NATO's annual summit, which will take place this year in Ankara on July 7-8. Europeans will use this event to present clear data on the growth of national defense budgets.
In addition, in a diplomatic attempt to align with Trump's speech – which harshly criticized the huge profits and salaries of executives in the arms industry – Mark Rutte issued a strong appeal to the high-profile manufacturers:
“It is necessary to accelerate military production, but not at higher prices, but preferably at lower prices. We are, however, talking about taxpayers' money.”
Desperate solutions for Ukraine after the withdrawal of US financial support
Another critical item on the alliance's agenda is finding alternative financing mechanisms for Ukraine, a mission that has become extremely complicated after the United States halted direct financial assistance to Kiev.
To break the deadlock, the NATO Secretary General put back on the table an older proposal of the states on the eastern flank: the mandatory allocation of 0.25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of each member state to support Ukraine. However, Rutte pragmatically admitted that the initiative has minimal chances of meeting the necessary consensus at the moment, its role being rather to force the Western European states to come up with viable counter-proposals in front of a
