Why Trump can't get other countries to help him reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump requested that Britain, France, Japan, South Korea and China send warships to the Middle East to help him reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has come to a standstill because of Iranian attacks on ships in and near the waterway. He also issued a vague threat to NATO allies who didn't join in the effort, saying that it would be "very bad for the future of NATO" if they refused to help secure the strait.

But those countries and more American allies aren't rushing to Trump's rescue. They're either openly rebuffing his demands or issuing vague, noncommittal statements. For the moment, there is no prospect of a U.S.-led coalition to help resolve Iran's domination of a waterway through which 20% of the world's oil reaches global markets. That Trump failed to anticipate this scenario illustrates yet another way in which his war in Iran is as foolish as it is immoral.