Overview
- France ruled out participating in operations to force open the Strait of Hormuz and said any European-led escorts would come only after the hottest phase of the conflict ends.
- EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas said member states will not expand their Red Sea mission to Hormuz, while the U.K. and Germany said they will not join the wider war, citing legal and mandate constraints.
- After days pressing partners to send ships, President Trump declared the U.S. does not need help and claimed Iran’s military has been decimated, even as he warned of consequences for NATO over refusals.
- Iran’s actions have constricted traffic through the strait since March 2, with attacks on commercial vessels and reported sea mines, pushing crude above $100 a barrel and lifting U.S. gas prices sharply over the past month.
- The campaign has entered its third week with continued U.S.-Israeli strikes; U.S. Central Command reports at least 13 service members killed and roughly 200 wounded.