Here is what we know about which countries’ ships are being allowed to pass through the strait and which nations are reported to be negotiating for safe passage.
Daily Archives: 16. März 2026
France holds back warships as Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz
France has said it will not send naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump called on countries reliant on oil from the Gulf to help secure the shipping lane that has been blocked since the start of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. France has insisted it will not join the war on Iran, maintaining a strictly defensive approach.
Iran after permanent end to war, will soon celebrate victory: Araghchi
Addressing the Islamic Republic’s closure of the strategic Hormuz Strait, an indispensable conduit for global energy consignments, he said the waterway remains open except to Iran’s enemies and those who have resorted to “cowardly aggression” against the nation and their allies.
Non-Iran tanker transits Hormuz with transponder on
„The Aframax tanker Karachi, carrying Abu Dhabi‘s Das crude, has become the first non-Iranian cargo to transit the chokepoint while broadcasting its AIS signal, suggesting that select shipments may be receiving negotiated safe passage,“ Marine Traffic said in a statement.
Japan not yet planning Hormuz escort mission, PM Takaichi says
Japan has no plan to dispatch naval vessels to escort vessels in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on allies to protect tankers traversing through the Strait of Hormuz.
„We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,“ Takaichi told parliament.
Germany, Greece rule out military involvement in Strait of Hormuz operations
The war in Iran has nothing to do with NATO, a German government spokesperson says, adding that Germany would not take part in the war nor in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open through military means.
“As long as this war continues, there will be no participation, not even in any effort to keep the Strait of Hormuz open by military means,” the spokesperson said.
Greece also will not engage in any military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said.
Despite Greenland crisis, Trump suggests NATO owes him help on Iran war after U.S. support for Ukraine. ‘We’ve been very sweet’
Just two months ago, NATO was in the middle of an existential crisis over President Donald Trump’s insistence that the U.S. take control of Greenland. He threatened tariffs and refused to rule out military action, but eventually backed down.
Then on Sunday, Trump demanded the alliance help him clear the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on the Islamic republic two weeks ago.
Joint statement by the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries and Canada
We – the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries and Canada – met in Oslo today, 15 March 2026.
At a time characterized by heightened geopolitical tension, war and a multitude of crises, we are united in the view that international cooperation, based on international law, shared values and interests, remains the best way to strengthen our common security and prosperity.
As democracies and countries committed to the rule of law, human rights, and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, we share fundamental values, and strengths.
Today we have agreed to deepen cooperation between our countries to ensure the safety, security and sovereignty of our people, and to build prosperous and green economies of the future.
Canada is set to build new bases in the Arctic after Trump threatened ‘51st state’ and Greenland takeover
(March 13, 2026)
The display of military force follows threats from Trump to annex Canada and take over the Danish territory of Greenland for national security purposes
Starmer says the UK‘s working with allies to bring a viable plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz
He says the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened to „ensure stability in the markets“.
„That is not a simple task,“ he says, which is why the UK is working with „all of our allies“ to bring a „viable plan“ to restore freedom of navigation to the region.
‘I’m demanding these countries come in’: Trump presses seven nations to police Strait of Hormuz
“We’re talking to countries about policing the straits because they are the ones — you know, we don’t get oil, very little, 1%. China, as an example, gets about 90% of its oil from the Hormuz Strait. It’d be nice to have other countries policing with us. And we’ll help, and we’ll work with them.”
He added that the responsibility should lie with nations whose economies rely on the route. “I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their own territory,” he said.