Europe dismisses Trump’s ‘unrealistic’ demand to reopen Strait of Hormuz by force as Macron tells him to get ‘serious’ and UK launches ‘diplomatic’ push

European powers today rejected Donald Trump’s “unrealistic” demands after he said the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz should be lifted by force.

Emmanuel Macron said that the US President should be ‘serious’ and suggested that it would be welcomed if the White House remained silent for a while.

The French President’s blunt response came as Britain hosted an international summit on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, where America was not represented among more than 40 countries.

But Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper said this was just Finding ways to mobilize ‘all diplomatic and economic tools’ as well as reassure the transport insurance market.

In an overnight speech, Mr Trump ordered other countries to ‘look after’ the Strait, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil passes, because they are the ones who need supplies.

At other times, he threatened to ‘destroy’ Iran if they did not reopen the waterway.

The canal has been effectively blocked by Iran since the US and Israel started the war. Since Iranian territory is very narrow, it is almost impossible to control these lands without the use of force.

Although America is a major oil producer, it is still exposed to global prices and will suffer from a looming worldwide downturn.

Ms Cooper said they needed to mobilize ‘all diplomatic and economic tools’ as well as finding ways to reassure the transport insurance market.

Emmanuel Macron said the US President should be ‘serious’ and suggested that it would be welcome if the White House remained silent for a while

A tanker near the Strait of Hormuz last month. The important channel remained virtually closed after the US and Israel launched a war against Iran

In the video call, Ms Cooper said: ‘At today’s meeting we are focusing on diplomatic and international planning measures, including the collective mobilization of all our diplomatic and economic tools and pressures, assurance work with industry, insurance companies and energy markets, as well as actions to guarantee the safety of stranded ships and sailors, and the effective coordination we need worldwide to ensure the safe and sustainable opening of the strait.’

It attacked Tehran after ‘more than 25 attacks were made on ships in the strait, with nearly 20,000 sailors on nearly 2,000 ships stranded’.

He said: ‘Iran’s indifference towards countries that have never been involved in this conflict… not only affects mortgage rates, oil prices and the cost of living here in the UK and many other countries around the world, it also hits our global economic security.’

Following the meeting led by Britain, military planners will evaluate how to make the strait ‘accessible and safe’ after the conflicts end.

However, this is not expected to include the deployment of Royal Navy warships to monitor the waterway.

Keir Starmer is trying to reassure worried Brits that the government has a plan to deal with the looming consequences of rising oil and gas prices.

Fertilizer and aluminum supplies are also disrupted due to the closure of the Bosphorus; food and a surprising variety of goods are also experiencing knock-on effects.

Mr Trump has threatened to pull the US out of NATO while voicing anger at Britain, France and other allies for not joining his attacks on Iran.

It’s not clear he can do that, as a law has been passed in 2023 stating that the Senate must approve such a move.

The fact that he did not mention the future of the military alliance in his speech to the American people last night caused Brent Crude Oil prices to skyrocket again.

Trump said: ‘Countries of the world that receive oil from the Strait of Hormuz should pay attention to this passage. They should value this. They should embrace it and protect it. They can do this easily.

‘We will help, but they must take the lead in protecting the oil on which they are so desperately dependent.

‘So we had to do it ourselves for countries that couldn’t get fuel, many of whom refused to be involved in the decapitation of Iran.’

The talks came after Donald Trump demanded that other countries take responsibility for this critical canal, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes.

Keir Starmer is trying to reassure worried Britons that the government has a plan to deal with the looming consequences of rising oil and gas prices.

He continued: ‘I have a suggestion. First, buy oil from the United States. We have a lot on hand. We have so much at our disposal that, secondly, we develop belated courage. I should have done it sooner. You should have done this with us as we wanted, you should have gone to the Bosphorus and taken it, protected it, used it for yourself.

‘A large part of Iran was destroyed. The hard part is done, so it should be easy.

‘And in any case. When this conflict is over, the throat will naturally open.

‘Naturally it will open. They’ll want to be able to sell oil because that’s all they need to do to rebuild. ‘The flow will continue and gas prices will rebound quickly.’

Nigel Farage insisted this afternoon that Mr Trump ‘will not leave NATO’.

He argued at a news conference that the US president was doing the alliance a favor by pushing states to contribute more to defense.

‘Without America, we are defenseless,’ reform leader said.

NATO was established in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty in the US capital to counter the risk of attack by the Soviet Union and became the cornerstone of the security of the West.

Its membership has reached 32 countries, including European countries, the USA and Canada.

Under Article 5 of the agreement, each member state undertakes that an armed attack against one will be ‘considered an attack against all’.

NATO invoked Article 5 only once, the day after America was attacked on 9/11. He led the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan until 2014.