• EU, Asian allies shy away from committing resources to Hormuz clearance operation
• IRGC threatens US companies in the region; Tehran says ‘ready to take war as far as necessary’
• Oil stays above $100 per barrel, ebbs after tanker navigates troubled strait
• Araghchi thanks govt, people of Pakistan for support
• Flights restart from Dubai hub after attack on airport; oil infrastructure hit in Fujairah
• Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz continue to be bombed; Iran hits back at Israeli airports

WASHINGTON: Even as President Donald Trump escalated his campaign to enlist international support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, most members of the Nato alliance shied away from declaring outright support.

Oil prices jumped after the strait was closed and, on Monday, remained above $100 per barrel as the Iran war moved into its third week.

Although Trump had warned the future of the alliance could be at risk if European and Asian allies failed to assist, European powers all but ruled out sending a mission to the Persian Gulf.

“We strongly encourage the other nations to get involved with us and get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm,” Trump told reporters at a White House event.

However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London was working with allies to craft a “viable” plan to reopen the strait, but ruled out a Nato mission, while Berlin also said it “has been clear at all times that this war is not a matter for Nato”.

“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,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Japan, Australia, Poland, Spain, Gre­e­ce and Sweden also all distanced themselves from any military involvement.

EU foreign ministers also showed “no appetite” for extending the bloc’s Red Sea naval mission to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz, the bloc’s top diplomat said after talks Monday in Brussels.

“Nobody wants to go actively in this war,” Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, told a press conference.

Meanwhile, a Pakistani oil tanker was able to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Monday with its location transmitter activated – the first such voyage by a non-Iranian tanker since the start of the war.

“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,” shipping monitor MarineTraffic said on Monday.

Araghchi thanks Pakistan

Separately, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday thanked the government and people of Pakistan for extending their “strong solidarity and support” with Iran and its people who he said were facing aggression from the United States and Israel.

In a post in Urdu on X, Araghchi said: “On this blessed, divine, and spiritual day and hour, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their strong expression of solidarity and support with the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the aggression by America and the Zionist regime.”

Araghchi added that Iran stood with “steadfastness and perseverance in defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with complete reliance on Allah Almighty”.

Situation in Iran

More than 1,200 Iranians have been killed by US and Israeli strikes so far, according to Iran’s health ministry, while the UN refugee agency estimates that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced by the war.

Despite the violence and 17 days of internet blackout, some Iranians have sought to restore a sense of normalcy, with cafes and restaurants reopening and the popular Tajrish bazaar busy over the weekend ahead of the upcoming Persian new year.

Iran’s labour minister also announced a more than 60-per cent hike in the minimum wage, local media reported.

Meanwhile, more air strikes pounded the Iranian capital on Monday as air defence systems were activated, an AFP journalist said, and Israel said it had also targeted the cities of Shiraz and Tabriz.

But Iran’s foreign minister struck a defiant tone, saying Tehran had shown it was ready to take the war with Israel and the United States as far as necessary.

“By now they have… understood what kind of nation they are dealing with, one that does not hesitate to defend itself and is ready to continue the war wherever it may lead, and take it as far as necessary,” Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Tehran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have also threatened to target US companies in the region, warning employees to evacuate.

The IRGC said on Monday they had targeted Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, as well as military bases used by US forces in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

According to the Guards, some 700 missiles and 3,600 drones had been fired at US and Israeli targets so far.

Dubai airport attacked

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed discussed Iran’s retaliatory strikes on the Gulf and expressed solidarity and sympathy in their second call since a public row in late December.

“Both sides stressed the need for the immediate cessation of military escalation… underscoring the importance of prioritising serious dialogue and diplomatic means,” it added.

Meanwhile, Emirati authorities said flights were gradually resuming at Dubai airport on Monday after a “drone-related incident” sparked a fuel tank fire nearby, disrupting travel at the hub.

Separately, a missile killed a civilian in their car in Abu Dhabi, and another drone sparked a blaze in an area housing oil infrastructure in the eastern emirate of Fujairah.

The UAE’s state-owned energy giant ADNOC has also halted the loading of oil into storage tanks at their Fujairah facility, following repeated strikes on the energy installation.

In Iraq, a strike on Monday near the border with Syria killed six fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi group, the alliance said.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026