An Indian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier, Shivalik, arrives at Mundra Port via the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Gujarat, India. -REUTERS PICBERLIN: US allies said they had no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rebuffing a request by President Donald Trump for military support to keep the vital waterway open. "What does (...) Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US navy cannot do?" China is talking with all sides about the strait as it seeks to de-escalate the conflict, its foreign ministry said on Monday. "Italy is not at war with anyone and sending military ships in a war zone would mean entering the war," Salvini told reporters in Milan.

Source: New Strait Times March 16, 2026 14:18 UTC