A whole host of countries have refused to join Donald Trump’s war on Iran, although one surprising nation has agreed.
As America and Israel continue their missile attacks on Iran, the US President has called upon Nato allies to aid the war effort. Very little help has been forthcoming, however.
America and Israel’s bombardment of Iran has drawn widespread criticism from the international community, as well as within America itself.
Both Democrats and Republicans, even some ardent Trump supporters, have been scornful of the US President’s decision to aid Israel in a foreign war.
At the time of writing, the Pentagon has confirmed that 13 American service members have died since the war began just over three weeks ago.
In addition to this, gas prices in the United States have surged due to the attacks on Iran, with global oil supplies being severely hampered by US and Israeli missiles.
War continues to escalate in the Middle East
As the war in Iran heads towards a month in duration, there does not appear to be any sign of military operations abating on either side.
Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut claimed the lives of 12 people in Lebanon overnight.
An additional 41 people were wounded in the attack on the Zuqaq al-Blat neighborhood, the Lebanese health ministry reported.
The attacks were a series of retaliation strikes towards the Iranian funded Hezbollah in Lebanon after two people were killed in Ramat Gan, near the Israeli capital.
The strikes on Tel-Aviv had been in response to Israel killing security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Basij paramilitary force.
In the United Arab Emirates, security warnings were issued in Dubai once again after several ballistic missiles were intercepted in the airspace above the city’s popular marine area.
Australia has also seen one of its UAE air bases targeted for a second time in three weeks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed an Iranian projectile hit a road just outside the Al Minhad base, where more than 100 Australian military personnel are stationed.
No one is reported to have been injured in the attack; however, the worst damage was a minor fire that broke out in a medical facility and accommodation block.
World War Three fears continue
The exacerbation of the conflict in Iran and the number of countries that have been pulled into it is causing major concern among the international community that World War Three is not far away.
In fact, one of Vladimir Putin’s generals in the Russian military, Apti Alaudinov, even went as far as claiming last month that WW3 had already begun.
Alaudinov said in a statement, per UNILAD: “We need to prepare at least half a million people in advance. But realistically one million people. We need to call them up and start preparing them for the fact that the war has already begun, which we already know is happening – World War 3. But it has already taken on a new turn and a new momentum.”
The Russian general went onto add: “And so that no one dares to play with us the way they played with all the other countries, and now with Iran. Believe me, we all need to unite, unite, unite at all levels.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also issued a warning to the United Kingdom that: “The threat to the UK and our allies from nuclear weapons is once again growing.
“Tackling this challenge is likely to be more complex than it was even in the Cold War, with more states with more nuclear weapons, the further proliferation of nuclear and disruptive technology, and the failure of international arms control arrangements to keep pace.”
Trump slams NATO allies for lack of Iran
Donald Trump, meanwhile, has been demanding help from Nato allies, with very little forthcoming.
With many NATO countries viewing America and Israel’s bombardment of Iran as illegal, very few of them have been willing to utilize their militaries in the conflict.
In response, Trump accused America’s allies of making a ‘foolish mistake’ before adding “we don’t need any help. But they should have been there.”
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump further aired his grievances with NATO by saying, “We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need.”
The US President’s remarks are in reference to his previous complaints that NATO allies had benefited from tens of billions of dollars in US backing for Ukraine to fend off Russia’s illegal invasion, that has been ongoing since 2022.
Which countries have rejected Trump’s war on Iran?
So far, the following countries have rejected Trump’s pleas to help the US with their bombardment of Iran: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Australia, South Korea, and Japan have all confirmed that they have no plans to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a focal point of the conflict.
The Strait is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is the only sea passage from Iran to the open ocean and sees 25 percent of the world’s oil supply passing through it every year, currently.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said of the situation: “Let me be clear: that won’t be, and it’s never been envisioned to be, a NATO mission.”
Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said diplomacy ‘needs to prevail’ while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz explained in a statement: “There was never a joint decision on whether to intervene. That is why the question of how Germany might contribute militarily does not arise. We will not do so.”
Which country has agreed to help Trump in Iran?
Despite not receiving backing from his NATO allies, Trump has found an unlikely helping hand from Ukraine.
Despite being four years deep into a catastrophic war with Russia, following the Russians illegal invasion in 2022, Ukraine have offered their military services to the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained: “We reacted immediately. Whenever it is possible for us to help defending civilians or US nationals, without second thought we sent our teams.”
