Several US allies rebuffed Donald Trump's call on Monday to send warships to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, drawing criticism from the US president, who accused Western partners of ingratitude after decades of support.

The US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in sight. The critical Strait of Hormuz, through ⁠which 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flow, remains largely closed off, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.

Trump, speaking at a White House event in Washington, said many countries had told him they were prepared to help, but voiced frustration with some long-standing allies.

"Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren't," he said, without offering specifics. "Some are countries that we've helped for many, many years. We've protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren't that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me."

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."

"We lack the mandate from the United Nations, the European Union or Nato required under the Basic Law," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin, adding that Washington and Israel had not consulted Germany before launching the war.

Japan, Australia, Poland, Spain, Greece and Sweden also all distanced themselves from any military involvement in the Strait of Hormuz.

EU foreign ministers discussed the war in Brussels on Monday but showed "no appetite" for extending their Red Sea naval mission to help reopen Hormuz, the bloc's top diplomat said.

Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that it would be "very bad for the future of Nato" if they refused to help. He said on Monday he has asked to delay a summit with President Xi Jinping by a "month or so."

Explosions hit the Iranian capital on Monday as air defence systems were activated, and Israel said it had also targeted the cities of Shiraz and Tabriz.

But Tehran's foreign minister struck a defiant tone.

"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 threatened to target US companies in the region, warning employees to evacuate, after the Iranian foreign minister issued a defiant warning to Washington.

A drone sparked a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport, disrupting travel, while 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 halted the loading of oil into storage tanks at Fujairah, while a drone strike caused a fire at the major Shah oil field.

The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where Israeli forces have carried out strikes and launched a "limited" ground incursion that Western leaders warned on Monday should not become a large-scale operation.

A Pakistani oil tanker was able to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Monday with its location transmitter activated – suggesting it may have negotiated safe passage.

The war has engulfed much of the region, with Iran striking at least 10 countries that host US forces. Its Revolutionary Guards say it has fired some 700 missiles and 3,600 drones.

Saudi Arabia intercepted more than 60 drones overnight, its defence ministry said on Monday, and Iraqi authorities said rockets wounded five people the day before at Baghdad's airport, which houses a US diplomatic facility. (Agencies)



Edited by Cecil Wong