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NATO Reportedly Weighs Role in Securing Strait of Hormuz Shipping

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is discussing the possibility of helping secure safe passage for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz if the waterway remains blocked into early July, news outlets reported on Tuesday, citing sources from within NATO.

The proposal has support from several NATO members but does not yet have the unanimous backing required for formal approval, a diplomat from a NATO country said. NATO leaders are scheduled to meet in Ankara on July 7-8, where the proposal is expected to be discussed.

A move to guarantee maritime transit through the strait would mark a notable shift in the alliance's posture toward the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. NATO has so far maintained that any involvement in securing the waterway would only occur after hostilities end and within a broader international coalition that includes non-NATO partners.

"The political direction comes first, and then the formal planning happens after that," NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich said at a press briefing Tuesday. "Am I thinking about it? Absolutely," Bloomberg reported, adding that he said restoring commercial traffic is in allies' interests, noting the broader economic impact of the disruption. "The stoppage is affecting all of our economies in a very negative way, and affecting our military industrial capacity over the long term."

NATO did not immediately respond torequest for comment.

Iran initially blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows, after the US and Israel began strikes on the country in late February. Since then, the closure has strained relations between Washington and European allies, with some European governments resisting US calls to directly assist in reopening the passage.

A senior NATO official also said opposition remains within the alliance, but support could grow if the disruption persists. The NATO official reportedly said several members favor some form of intervention, though others remain wary of deeper involvement in the conflict.

While NATO remains divided, France and the UK are separately developing contingency plans to help secure navigation once conditions allow. Some allied countries have already positioned assets in the region, Bloomberg reported.

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