US5 min(s) read
Published 17:33 17 Mar 2026 GMT
Donald Trump recently started a war with Iran, and he’s asked several key allies to join him - so far, it hasn’t been a fantastic success for the US President.
But, he did find an unlikely ally from one other country.
Trump decided to attack Iran some weeks ago, starting an assault called ‘Operation Epic Fury’ with air strikes.
The US military has killed key leaders of the country, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and used both precision missiles and other means to target the Middle Eastern nation.
However, he has since asked for help from allies to get involved in his efforts, and so far not many have agreed to answer the call.
In fact, most have either rejected or responded very cautiously to Trump’s call.
Let’s see where everyone stands on the conflict that many fear could escalate to become World War Three.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer would have been near the top of Trump’s list of people to call in a crisis, but he has since ruled out UK involvement on a wider scale, stating that 'Britain won’t be drawn into the wider war’ but would help come up with a ‘viable plan’.
On potential NATO involvement, Starmer said: “Let me be clear: that won’t be, and it’s never been envisioned to be, a NATO mission.”
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani ruled out his country getting into the war, stating last Monday that ‘diplomacy needs to prevail’.
The German government has issued perhaps the most damning rejection yet, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz completely ruling out involvement.
He said: “There was never a joint decision on whether to intervene.
“That is why the question of how Germany might contribute militarily does not arise.
“We will not do so.”
Merz said that the Iranian regime ‘must end’ but ‘bombing it into submission is, in all likelihood, not the right approach.’
His defence minister, Boris Pistorius, namechecked Trump directly, questioning why the US isn’t handling matters itself.
He said: “This is not our war, we have not started it.
“What does Donald Trump expect from a handful of European frigates in the strait of Hormuz that the mighty US navy cannot manage alone?
“This is the question I find myself asking.”
Other European countries have also expressed scepticism over Trump’s plans in the region, including action in the Strait of Hormuz.
There were questions from countries such as the Netherlands, Lithuania and Estonia, who - while not outright rejecting Trump - wonder what he wants to get from the mission ultimately.
A spokesperson for the Greek government did outright rule out his country participating in any military operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Outside of Europe, Australia, South Korea, and Japan have all said that they currently have no plans to send ships to help out with the mission, with Japan claiming that it has not received a formal request for assistance.
Australian transport minister Catherine King said: “We won’t be sending a ship to the strait of Hormuz,
“We know how incredibly important that is but that’s not something we’ve been asked or we’re contributing to.”
South Korea was less committal, stating that it would ‘continue to communicate’ with the USA.
China has so far not committed to anything, but US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that he expected China to be a ‘constructive partner’ in the region.
Trump has spoken about China’s potential involvement himself, stating: “I think China should help, too, because China gets 90% of its oil from the straits.”
Of all the countries that you might expect to get involved in this, you probably wouldn’t count on one that is already fighting a bloody war in its own territory.
Despite currently being locked in a lengthy war with Russia, Ukraine has responded to the US call, with President Zelenskyy reportedly offering to help counter the drone threat Iran poses.
“We reacted immediately," said the Ukrainian president.
“Whenever it is possible for us to help defending civilians or US nationals, without second thought we sent our teams.”
Of course, this level of rejection and hesitance hasn’t gone over well with the POTUS.
He’s specifically referred to his UK counterpart and others, stating: “Whether we get support or not, but I can say this, and I said to them: We will remember.”
Whether or not the other countries decide to get involved in the end is yet to be seen, let's hope it doesn't continue to escalate so that they have to.
