00:01After completely isolating Trump, U.S. allies now seem to be rallying behind a secure the
00:07Strait of Ormuz plan.
00:09You've got a joint statement that's now been released in which several countries, the U.K.,
00:15Germany, France, Italy, Japan, they've come out and issued a statement in which they say
00:21and I quote, we express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage
00:27through the Strait of Ormuz.
00:29U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, they've all come together to say they're
00:35ready to help on the Strait of Ormuz to stabilize energy markets because every country now is
00:40feeling the pinch.
00:42NATO is now on board.
00:43Trump, after lashing out at his allies, now says they're becoming much nicer and has welcomed
00:50the fact that they have now said that they will do whatever they can to secure the Strait
00:54of Ormuz.
00:55The big question that will be asked is does that also translate to providing military
01:00help to secure the Strait?
01:05Situations in the Middle East and also the entire world, we are actually experiencing
01:11a very severe security environment.
01:14I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.
01:22And to do so, I am ready to reach out to many of the partners in the international community
01:30to achieve our objective together.
01:34Iran's development of nuclear weapons must never be allowed.
01:38And that is why we, Japan, have been urging them and also reaching out to other partners
01:45in the world.
01:46Okay, let me bring in Geeta Mohan for more details on this.
01:49Geeta, a clear change of heart for NATO allies, possibly triggered by the fact that they're
01:54all feeling the pinch now of the energy markets and the instability right now in the markets.
02:00But what does this really mean when they say they're on board to secure the Strait?
02:04Does that also include military help, Geeta?
02:07Well, it could certainly mean escorting the vessels, but is Europe going to get involved
02:15or NATO and non-NATO allies, are they going to get involved militarily?
02:19As of now, that's certainly, when I read the statement, I don't see military involvement.
02:24I see using all ways and means to secure the passage, which could mean, yes, some naval assets
02:31being deployed, but more to do with how diplomatically they'd like to engage, because that entire statement
02:36also calls for immediate moratorium on the attacks from both sides.
02:43So it's not just one side where they're just condemning the Iranian attacks.
02:47They're saying that there needs to be ceasefire and succession of attacks and the war on an
02:54immediate basis, because yes, everybody is feeling the pinch.
02:57But in terms of getting into details of how they intend to secure the Strait of Hormuz,
03:03that still is not something that has been detailed out in the statement.
03:08But a joint statement, just when the United States of America has come out and said that
03:13they're going to hit Iran hard, is something that's significant.
03:17And this comes at a time like we are playing out the visual, Zakshita.
03:20Even as Trump and Takayashi are in conversation, they are going to talk about what kind of help
03:27is Japan going to extend.
03:29So important conversations taking place, NATO stepping up, but not entirely in terms of
03:35military deployment.
03:36I don't see that in that state.
03:38I do wonder though, Geeta, and do you think that this is also a reaction to pressure from
03:43America, the fact that Trump also was talking tough in the last few days, suggesting that
03:48you know, the need to fund NATO is something that he's going to look into, suggesting that
03:52these allies never really stand by America.
03:54Do you think that played a part too in this joint statement?
03:57Well, everything has played a part.
03:59That is a lot of pressure when it comes to NATO members and European allies, non-NATO allies
04:07like Japan of the United States of America, where they are looking at and reading the statements
04:14that are coming from Washington.
04:15But more importantly, Akshita over here, is the fact that gas fields have been attacked.
04:21There were counterattacks by Iran.
04:23And that certainly means that markets will continue to remain on free fall when it comes
04:28to not just oil companies, but also manufacturing industry, service sector, you name it.
04:34There is a real bloodbath at the stock market.
04:39You're in India too.
04:40And yes, and they are feeling that pinch.
04:43So they really want an immediate succession of the war and a clear passage of vessels to
04:50various countries, which for now doesn't seem like is going to happen.
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