Will NATO get involved in securing Strait of Hormuz?

Inside StoryWar on Iran overshadows defence alliance’s summit in Turkiye.

The leaders of NATO member states met in Ankara, ostensibly to discuss increasing defence investment and long-term military support for Ukraine.

But the US-Israel war on Iran hung over the gathering.

One of the most significant issues before the alliance is freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz – the vital waterway that Iran effectively closed for months. Before the NATO summit, the US had called on European allies to help it secure the strait.

They refused, with some arguing that the war has nothing to do with the bloc.

So, can the divide between the US and its allies be bridged?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

David Des Roches – Profesor at Thayer Marshall Institute and former NATO operations director in the Office of the US Secretary of Defense

Alam Saleh – Senior lecturer of Iranian studies at Australian National University

Patrick Bury – Defence and security specialist at the University of Bath and a former NATO analyst

Published On 9 Jul 2026