Europe resists Trump’s call for Strait of Hormuz military backup as oil prices rise
Israel has killed two senior Iranian leaders, including Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani, in a series of targeted strikes, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war. Iran confirmed the deaths and continues to launch missile and drone attacks on Gulf states and commercial shipping, keeping global oil prices near $100 a barrel and driving up US gas costs.
Meanwhile, European Union officials refused President Trump’s request for military assistance in the Strait of Hormuz, with the EU’s top diplomat saying “nobody is ready to put their people in harm’s way.” The Strait remains a strategic chokepoint for global oil transport.
The war’s human toll continues to mount. The Pentagon reports over 200 US service members injured and 13 killed. Iranian officials claim more than 1,300 fatalities in the conflict, while Iranian strikes have killed at least 27 people in Gulf states and 12 in Israel.
Amid the chaos, Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, resigned, citing disagreement over the ongoing war and stating that Iran “posed no imminent threat” to the United States.
The conflict highlights the rising geopolitical tension in the Middle East, the vulnerability of the Gulf oil supply, and the challenges facing global diplomacy as nations weigh involvement in the war.
Source: CBS News