Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran mages acquired by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper on NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite- Credit: NASA image using data provided courtesy of the University of Maryland’s Global Land Cover Facility / Wikimedia Commons - License: Public Domain

Netherlands, five allies ready to help secure Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions

The Netherlands, along with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, said they are prepared to support “appropriate measures” to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The six nations welcomed the start of “preparatory planning” by involved countries.

The United States has spent the past few days pressing allies to help end Iran’s blockade of the strategic strait, which disrupts roughly 20 percent of global oil supply and sharply pushes up prices. Until now, American allies have been reluctant, frustrating President Donald Trump. Behind the scenes, NATO leader Mark Rutte has urged European partners to step up their assistance.

The six nations have so far left the details of their support unspecified. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the UK and France are working on “a plan” that must be “viable.” Reopening the strait, however, is a complex and risky operation. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten noted at Thursday’s EU summit in Brussels that it is currently “too dangerous to launch a mission in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The Netherlands is already working with the five other nations to plan what would be needed to reopen the strait as soon as conditions permit, a spokesperson for the prime minister said. “Safe and free navigation must be restored as quickly as possible.” Clearing naval mines will likely be part of the operation. President Trump had earlier asked for minehunters, which the United States has only in limited numbers.

Most European nations are seeking to avoid involvement in the conflict between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. Many argue this stance conflicts with international law, and the U.S. did not discuss its plans with them in advance. Still, they stand to suffer from the impacts if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed to oil and liquefied gas shipments.

The Dutch government, together with five other signatories of a joint statement, is urging an “immediate and all‑encompassing halt” to strikes against oil and gas infrastructure and other civilian sites. Over the last day, Israel carried out a bombing on a major Iranian natural gas field, prompting Iran to retaliate by attacking key gas facilities in Qatar.