NATO’s top military commander said Tuesday he was "thinking” about how the alliance could contribute to securing the Strait of Hormuz, though no formal operational planning has been launched.
"Am I thinking about it? Absolutely. But there's no planning yet until the political decision is taken," U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told journalists.
U.S. President Donald Trump has blasted Washington's European allies in NATO for their response to his war on Iran, which has seen the crucial waterway closed.
European countries spearheaded by Britain and France have been scrambling to put together a possible plan for how they could help keep the strait open if the war ends.
So far U.S.-led alliance NATO has steered clear of seeking any direct involvement in the conflict, despite pressure from Trump.
"Each nation is considering their response, with many, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, sailing ships to the region," Grynkewich said.
"We all agree it's in our interest to ensure freedom of navigation in international waters."
European diplomats at NATO have played down of the prospect of the alliance playing a major role in the strait given internal divisions.
But they say it could be involved in some way in any eventual operations led by France or Britain if they materialize.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has had a major impact on global energy prices and is already taking a toll on economies in Europe.
No harm to NATO defenses
Grynkewich also said Trump’s decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany does not hurt the alliance’s defenses, and warned more redeployments should be expected.
"I'd like to emphasize this decision does not impact the executability of our regional plans," Grynkewich said.
"As allies build up their capability, the United States is able to pull capability back and use it for other global priorities, so I'm very comfortable with where we are," he added.
The sudden move from Washington followed a spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war in Iran and caught allies unaware.
But the Trump administration had long been telling European countries that the United States was looking to pull out forces as it focuses on other threats around the world.
"We should expect there to be a redeployment of U.S. forces over time as allies build their capacity," Grynkewich said.
"I can't really give you an exact timeline, it's going to be an ongoing process for several years."
While European NATO members have downplayed the impact of the U.S. withdrawal, the abrupt manner of the announcement has reinforced worries over Trump's commitment to the alliance.
The U.S. president has lashed out at Europe over its response to his war with Iran and threatened repeatedly that he could consider quitting NATO.
Europe will seek to smooth over the bad blood at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden later this week that will include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The alliance is gearing up for a summit with Trump in Türkiye in July at which it wants to showcase Europe's increase in defence spending to keep the U.S. leader happy.