Europe should provide Strait of Hormuz naval escorts, NATO notwithstanding

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is now centered on the battle for the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait provides the critical Indian Ocean chokepoint for oil and natural gas-exporting nations rimming the Persian Gulf. But Iran's use of drones, mines, missiles, and gunboats to harass transiting ships has brought energy exports to a near-total halt. This has led to rising energy prices and volatility. The Trump administration is now pressuring allies to provide naval forces to escort tankers through the strait and thus stabilize the global energy market.