The U.S. went to war without its allies. Now it wants their help

Summary

Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: The U.S. went to war without its allies. Now it wants their help

Air Date: March 16, 2026
Host: Mary Louise Kelly
Guests: Greg Myre (NPR National Security Correspondent), Franco Ordoñez (NPR White House Correspondent)

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Overview

This episode explores the geopolitical and practical challenges facing President Trump and the United States following the recent war against Iran. Having launched military action without first assembling a coalition, the U.S. now seeks help from key allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz—a critical passage for global oil shipments—facing hesitancy and outright rejection from several nations. The episode dissects why allies are reluctant, the historical context of such maritime security operations, and the complexities introduced by modern warfare technologies.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Demand for Allied Support

• Trump’s Call to Allies: President Trump publicly demanded seven countries—China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom among them—send warships to help “reopen” the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Notable Quote:

    “I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory. It’s the place from which they get their energy. And they should come and they should help us protect it.”
    — Donald Trump (00:43)

• Allies’ Reluctance: Despite Trump’s emphasis on shared interests, many allies are unwilling, fueling his public frustration.
  • Notable Quote:

    "Some are countries that we've helped for many, many years... and they weren't that enthusiastic."
    — Donald Trump (03:06)

2. Why Allies Are Hesitant

• Political Friction: Allies are wary due to lack of prior consultation and see this conflict as an American-initiated war.
  • Notable Quotes:

    “The German defense minister declared that this is not our war. We did not start it, adding that he wanted a diplomatic solution.”
    — Franco Ordoñez (03:41) “The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer... said the UK will not be drawn into a wider war, despite any political pressure.”
    — Franco Ordoñez (03:41)

• Security Concerns: Even with assurances from Trump about diminished Iranian capabilities, the risks remain high for participating nations.

3. Historical Precedent for Escorting Oil Tankers

• 1980s Gulf Convoys: Greg Myre recounts a successful but risky U.S.-led operation to escort Kuwaiti oil tankers during the Iran-Iraq war.
  • Notable Quote:

    “US Flags were raised on Kuwaiti oil tankers, and the US Navy ships escorted these tankers from one end of the Gulf to the other... It achieved what it was trying to do. But there were some serious problems along the way.”
    — Greg Myre (04:30)

  • Incident Highlighted: The USS Stark incident where 37 U.S. sailors died after an accidental attack by Iraq, underscoring operational risks (05:18).

4. Why Today’s Situation Is More Complicated

• Drone Warfare: The proliferation of drones presents a threat not present in the 1980s; complete elimination is nearly impossible.
  • Notable Quote:

    “One key reason is simply drones. They just weren’t a factor in the 1980s. Now Iran has them by the thousands... Iran can easily launch drones from land and target ships in the narrow Strait of Hormuz.”
    — Greg Myre (05:28)

• Volume of Shipping: Now, over 1,000 ships are involved in Gulf transit, versus far fewer in the past, multiplying security complexity (05:56).

5. The Cost of Going Alone

• Diplomatic Fallout: Allies now take a defensive stance, both tactically and politically, feeling excluded from prior decision-making.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Trump moved forward with little to no consultation with European allies. And those allies were very surprised and have since kind of taken this defensive posture both tactically and politically.”
    — Franco Ordoñez (06:34)

• Counterfactual Reflection: Had the U.S. built a coalition beforehand, allied participation might have been more forthcoming (06:59).

6. Can the Strait of Hormuz—and the War—Be Resolved Quickly?

• Strategic Bind: Trump faces a new global economic problem (oil shortages), complicating any plan for a quick war termination.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Initially, it seemed he could end this war more or less when he wanted. Now he’s looking at a global economic problem that didn’t exist before this war was launched and one that would be very hard to walk away from.”
    — Greg Myre (07:14)

• Iran’s Leverage: As long as Iran can control the oil flow, ending the war and reopening the Strait will remain difficult (07:38).

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Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “They should help us protect it.” — Donald Trump (00:58)
• “This is not our war. We did not start it.” — German defense minister, paraphrased by Franco Ordoñez (03:41)
• “US Flags were raised on Kuwaiti oil tankers...” — Greg Myre (04:30)
• “Now Iran has [drones] by the thousands, and it's probably impossible to eliminate all of them...” — Greg Myre (05:28)
• “Clearly, the U.S. made a choice to go at this alone with Israel.” — Franco Ordoñez (06:34)
• “Now he's looking at a global economic problem that didn't exist before this war was launched...” — Greg Myre (07:14)

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Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:00–00:58 — Introduction of the issue; Trump’s demand and rationale for allied involvement
• 02:24–03:26 — Franco Ordoñez outlines Trump’s requests and allied reluctance
• 03:41–04:22 — Reasons for allies’ lack of enthusiasm (political and security concerns)
• 04:30–05:18 — Greg Myre provides historical context of U.S. naval escorts
• 05:28–06:26 — Discussion of technological and scale challenges today
• 06:34–07:08 — U.S. strategic missteps and diplomatic fallout
• 07:14–07:41 — Doubts around resolving the conflict or securing the strait swiftly

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Tone and Language

The conversation flows with NPR’s signature measured, analytical tone, blending expert insights with pointed questions and occasional paraphrasing of official statements. The correspondents avoid alarmism, instead focusing on realistic challenges and historical context to inform listeners.

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This summary captures the essential arguments, expert observations, and the diplomatic intricacies shaping this major news story. Even without listening, you’ll understand the stakes and the international dynamics now at play in securing the world’s vital oil lifeline.

Transcript

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Who is going to secure the narrow waterway through which 20% of the world's oil travels? We are talking about the Strait of Hormuz and about President Trump's demand that about seven countries send warships to reopen the vital shipping route. On Saturday, in a Truth Social post, Trump called out China, also France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to help the United States protect the area. Trump added he hopes they would, quote, send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated, end quote. Here's Trump speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday.

[Donald Trump]

I really, I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory. It's the place from which they get their energy. And they should come and they should help us protect it.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

They should help us protect it, he's saying. Now all of this is happening three weeks after the US And Israel launched war against Iran and without having built a coalition to protect the world's oil. Consider this. Can the US get its allies to help after going to war with Iran? And if they do, can the Strait of Hormuz really be secured? From npr, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Pop Culture Announcer]

At this year's Oscars, one battle after another took home the award for best picture. Michael B. Jordan won for lead actor. And the telecast had plenty of jokes at Timothee Chalamet's expense. Listen to a recap on pop Culture Happy hour via the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

It's Consider this from npr. President Trump launched the war against Iran without building a coalition of US Allies. Only now is the president trying to enlist allies to help end or Iran's effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. And many of the countries he's asked are rejecting Trump's request to talk this through. I am joined by NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre. Hey, Greg.

[Greg Myre]

Hi, Mary Louise.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

And White House correspondent Franco Ordonez. Hi, Franco.

[Franco Ordonez]

Hi there.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

You kick us off, Franco. President Trump wants other countries to help make the Gulf safe for oil tankers to pass through. Are other countries inclined to help?

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, I was with him this weekend in Florida when he said he was actually demanding that seven countries send warships to help escort these oil vessels through the critical choke point. And he called on specifically China, France, the U.K. japan and South Korea to help today. He teased that they'll be announcing a number of countries who are going to help, but he would not name any specific ones. But he also acknowledged that some longtime allies don't want to get involved, and he was clearly not happy about that.

[Donald Trump]

Numerous countries have told me they're on the way. Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren't. Some are countries that we've helped for many, many years. We've protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren't that enthusiastic.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Franco, explain why US Allies are not that enthusiastic, to use the president's words. Is this because they are opposed to the war or because they think this particular mission is dangerous or because President Trump has been insulting them regularly?

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, Mayor Luz, I think it's a mix of all of those. I mean, the German defense minister, though, declared that this is not our war. We did not start it, adding that he wanted a diplomatic solution. The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, he said at a news conference that the UK Will not be drawn into a wider war, despite any political pressure. Trump again is particularly unhappy with the UK So definitely some political differences. But Trump also seemed to indicate some security concerns. You know, he talked about the Iranian navy and air force having very little firepower left. He seems to be aimed at reassuring these allies that there's only a small risk for helping them out.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Greg, just to back us up, walk me through how oil tanker escorts have worked in past, because the US has done it. Remind us when and how.

[Greg Myre]

Yeah, that's exactly right. Iran and Iraq fought this brutal war through most of the 1980s, and both those countries attacked the ships and oil facilities of the other side. By 1987, the US agreed to launch a naval convoy to protect Kuwaiti oil tankers from Iranian attacks. US Flags were raised on Kuwaiti oil tankers, and the US Navy ships escorted these tankers from one end of the Gulf to the other. This is 600 miles or so. And overall, this went very well. It achieved what it was trying to do. But there were some serious problems along the way. During this operation, an Iraqi plane mistakenly fired on a US ship, the USS Stark. The Iraqis thought this was an Iranian ship, and 37 US sailors were killed.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Hmm. Which dozens of US sailors being killed is obviously not something anyone wants to repeat. And could this perhaps even be more complicated now?

[Greg Myre]

Absolutely. And one key reason is simply drones. They just weren't a factor in the 1980s. Now Iran has them by the thousands, and it's probably impossible to eliminate all of them and fully extinguish this threat. Iran can easily launch drones from land and target ships in the narrow Strait of Hormuz. It's just 21 miles wide. the narrowest point. And Trump says the US has wiped out Iran's mine laying boats, more than 30 of them. But Iran has these small speedboats or patrol boats that they could use to attack as well. So the US Is inflicting this major damage on Iran's traditional weapons. But it'll be very difficult to account for all the small mobile weapons, particularly fast boats and drones. And just one final key point on that. This would be so much larger than it was before. Today, there are more than 1,000 ships in the Gulf trying to get into the Gulf or out of the Gulf. And the US has around 20 Navy ships in the region.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Franco, it would seem President Trump has created and now finds himself in a tough situation. Was this avoidable?

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, I mean, clearly the US Made a choice to go at this alone with Israel. And as with so many other global issues, Trump moved forward with little to no consultation with European allies. And those allies were very surprised and have since kind of taken this defensive posture both tactically and politically. So I think you do have to wonder, if the US had consulted with these allies before, would such an ask that he's making now be different? You know, maybe he never would have gotten the buy in, but if he did, you know, I think you can say it could be different.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Greg, bottom line, can President Trump end this war before he finds a way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz?

[Greg Myre]

Well, that's looking increasingly difficult. Initially, it seemed he could end this war more or less when he wanted. Now he's looking at a global economic problem that didn't exist before this war was launched and one that would be very hard to walk away from. So as of today, Iran controls the oil flow and could continue to exert this control if Trump decided to end the war and just pull out US Troops.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

All right, NPR correspondents Greg Myrie and Franco Ordonez, thanks to you both.

[Greg Myre]

Sure thing, Mary Louise.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre and Karen Zamora with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Andrew Sussman, Rebecca Metzler and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's considered this from npr. I'm Mary Louise Kelley.

[Pop Culture Announcer]

At this year's Oscars, one battle after another took home the award for best picture. Michael B. Jordan won for lead actor. And the telecast had plenty of jokes at Timothee Chalamet's expense. Listen to a recap on Pop Culture Happy Hour via the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.