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German defence minister rejects Trump's call for military support against Iran German defence minister Boris Pistorius on Monday rejected demands by US President Donald Trump for military support in the war against Iran and downplayed threats that such a stance by allies would hurt Nato. "What does (...) Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. navy cannot do?" he said in Berlin. "This is not our war, we have not started it." Asked about Trump's warning that Nato faces a "very bad" future if its members fail to come to Washington's aid, Pistorius said he did not anticipate Nato falling apart over these differences.

Activists in South Korea have staged a protest against Donald Trump’s request for help securing the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel is using military occupation of southern Lebanon and displacement crisis to dictate ceasefire terms, say experts.

3 Reasons China Will Ignore Donald Trump’s Demand to Contribute Forces to Re-Open Strait of Hormuz  The China-Global South Project

Drone attack disrupts Dubai flights as Iran continues Gulf attacks  Al Jazeera

Neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs have been left in ruins by Israeli bombing attacks.

Opinion | The Iran war is eroding America’s China deterrent  The Washington Post

Non-Iran tanker transits Hormuz with transponder on A non-Iranian oil tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz with its automatic transponder system activated, despite major disruption to shipping in the crucial waterway from the Middle East war, monitor Marine Traffic said Monday. "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. This handout photo taken on 11 March, 2026 and released by the Royal Thai Navy shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier 'Mayuree Naree' near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack. (AFP)

Rising oil prices amid the US-Israel war on Iran are pushing nations to readjust their energy policies.

UK working with allies on 'viable' plan to reopen Hormuz Prime minister Keir Starmer said Monday Britain was working with allies to come up with a "viable" plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil transport conduit effectively shut by Iran in the Middle East war. "We're working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts," Starmer told reporters, adding he had discussed the situation with US President Donald Trump. The UK leader added that while Britain was "taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war".

Turkish Airlines has cancelled flights across the Middle East

Opinion | The Iran war reveals the limits of U.S. military power  The Washington Post

Recapping the Academy Awards and challenges reopening the Strait of Hormuz: Morning Rundown  NBC News

Advocates say 24/7 coverage of US attacks will not last for ever – and spotlight will return to Epstein and his crimes As the US woke to news that Donald Trump had bombed Iran, domestic discord was fast simmering. There was unrelenting outrage over ICE raids. There was frustration with the rising cost of living. There was fear over rocketing healthcare prices, mounting household debt, not to mention many Americans’ nagging sense of desperation in a country, some warned, where democracy itself was under threat. Continue reading...

As the US–Israeli war with Iran enters its third week, reports are emerging that Israel is running out of air defence interceptors

Why Iran Is Allowing Bangladeshi Tankers Through the Strait of Hormuz  MEPEI

Trump says Gulf countries should protect Strait of Hormuz US president Donald Trump said countries around the Strait of Hormuz should protect the waterway themselves. “Really, I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory,” he said. “They should help us. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't be there at all, because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil.” Trump on Strait of Hormuz: "Really, I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory ... they should help us. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't be there at all, because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil." pic.twitter.com/y97MflXvLs March 16, 2026

Iran says any end to US-Israeli war must be definitive, report says Iran has not requested a ceasefire, foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said on Monday, according to the semi-official Students News Network, and wants to ensure that any end to the war with Israel and the US is definitive. Araqchi said that the Strait of Hormuz is only closed to "enemies and those supporting their aggression". A foreign ministry spokesperson added that states not party to the war have been able to transit their vessels through the strait with coordination and permission from Iran's armed forces.

Opinion | Amateur 'Advisors', Ignored Generals: How Trump Shunned Protocol To Launch Iran War  NDTV

Trump Asks for Help With Strait of Hormuz, and Israeli Forces Kill Family in West Bank  The New York Times