Germany, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO),\nhas issued a strong response regarding the US-Israel war in the Middle\nEast. Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the conflict, which began\nwith US-Israel strikes on Tehran on 28 February, \u201cis not NATO\u2019s concern\u201d\nand Germany will not participate in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been clear from the outset that this war is not a NATO\nmatter,\u201d Merz said on Monday, adding that the US and Israel \u201cdid not\nconsult with us before this war\u201d, according to reporting by AFP on\nTuesday, 17 March 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was never a joint decision about whether to intervene. That is\nwhy the question of how Germany could contribute militarily does not\narise. We will not do so,\u201d he added at a press conference with Dutch\nPrime Minister Rob Jetten.<\/p>\n
This represents the latest response from a US ally following\nPresident Donald Trump\u2019s call on Sunday for countries including South\nKorea, France, China, and the United Kingdom to help ensure safe passage\nthrough the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had previously declared closed\nto US and allied traffic.<\/p>\n
Trump subsequently increased pressure on NATO allies, telling the\nFinancial Times newspaper that the alliance faced a \u201cvery bleak\u201d future\nif member states did not do their part to reopen the strait. Merz flatly\nrejected any possibility of Germany sending ships to the Strait of\nHormuz.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo long as the war continues, we will not be involved in securing\nfree passage in the Strait of Hormuz through military means,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Merz\u2019s spokesman Stefan Kornelius had previously made similar\nremarks, stating that the war \u201chas nothing to do with NATO\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNATO is an alliance for territorial defence and the mandate for\ndeploying NATO does not exist,\u201d Kornelius said at a regular press\nconference.<\/p>\n
At a separate press conference on Monday, Defence Minister Boris\nPistorius said Germany wanted all parties involved to prevent \u201cfurther\nmilitary escalation\u201d. Germany\u2019s primary responsibility was for \u201cthe\neastern and northern flank, which is of high importance\u201d and it would\n\u201cremain committed to that\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be no military participation from Germany, but Berlin is\nprepared to support diplomatic efforts to ensure safe passage through\nthe Strait of Hormuz,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are facing a situation that we did not provoke\u2026 This war began\nwithout any consultation whatsoever,\u201d Pistorius added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does Donald Trump expect from a handful of European frigates in\nthe Strait of Hormuz that cannot be managed by the mighty US Navy alone?\nThis is the question I ask myself,\u201d he stated.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/germany-rejects-trumps-call-for-military-support-in-middle-east-says-war-not-natos-concern-1773726750", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }