World leaders are moving to contain the Strait of Hormuz crisis without direct US leadership, as deepening divisions emerge between Washington and its European allies over the Iran war and its global fallout. Countries heavily dependent on Gulf energy supplies are scrambling to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as frustration grows over the US approach to the conflict, according to ‘The Hill’. The United Kingdom convened more than 40 nations this week to coordinate efforts to restore maritime traffic through the critical waterway, placing responsibility on Iran for disrupting global trade. But the meeting also exposed sharp tensions within the Western alliance.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron openly rejected US calls for support in military operations, saying, “They cannot then complain about not being supported in an operation they decided on their own. It is not our operation,” he said. European leaders have instead pushed for diplomatic and economic pressure rather than force. Military options to reopen the Strait are seen as unrealistic and risky, ‘The Wall Street Journal’ reported, citing officials and experts. At the United Nations, Bahrain has introduced a Security Council resolution to protect commercial shipping in the region, though it faces resistance from China, ‘The Hill’ reported. The divergence reflects a broader rupture in trans-Atlantic ties.