Global News Podcast

Germany and UK tell Trump this is 'not Nato's war'

75 snips
Mar 16, 2026
Lucy Williamson, BBC Middle East correspondent, looks at how Israelis view the war with Iran and the fear of endless conflict. Marianna Spring, BBC investigator of online harms, examines whistleblower claims that platforms rewarded outrage. Lise Doucette, veteran foreign affairs journalist, unpacks the US-Iran war, NATO tensions and the scramble over the Strait of Hormuz.
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INSIGHT

Europe Rejects A NATO Role In Hormuz

  • Britain and Germany rejected Donald Trump's push for a NATO role in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying the alliance is defensive and this conflict lies outside NATO's remit.
  • Keir Starmer backed a separate partner coalition, while Boris Pistorius said Germany would need a legal mandate and added, "It's not our war."
INSIGHT

Trump's Hormuz Coalition Faces A Credibility Gap

  • Lise Doucette said Donald Trump now wants a Hormuz coalition after launching the war without broad consultation and without a clear end goal.
  • India and Turkey instead negotiated individual ship passages with Iran, showing diplomacy may move traffic without turning more countries into belligerents.
INSIGHT

China Has More Room To Resist Trump

  • Stephen McDonnell said Donald Trump lacks his usual leverage with China because Beijing can refuse responsibility for a war it did not start.
  • Chinese ships may still be allowed through Hormuz, and export data showed China offset an 11% US drop with 22% overall export growth.
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