March 21, 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will speak by phone with US President Donald Trump this weekend as pressure grows on NATO allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow waterway, a crucial choke point for global oil shipments, has been effectively closed to most shipping since strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran. The disruption has driven oil prices higher and prompted Trump to publicly scold European NATO partners, calling them “cowards” for refusing to join efforts to reopen the passage.
Merz confirmed the scheduled call at a campaign event for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Rhineland-Palatinate on Friday, where state elections are due on Sunday. He repeated an earlier invitation for Trump to visit Germany — including Rhineland-Palatinate — pointing to the US president’s ancestral ties to the region.
To date, Germany has followed several NATO allies in declining to participate in patrols in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing the conflict began with US and Israeli actions and is therefore “not NATO’s war.” Still, diplomatic language softened this week: Berlin and Paris indicated a readiness to contribute to appropriate measures to ensure safe passage once active hostilities subside.
The closure of Hormuz has broader economic effects. About one-fifth of the world’s oil trade and a significant share of global fertilizer shipments normally transit the strait, and the blockade has already raised energy and agricultural input costs. German officials have warned of potential knock-on effects on food prices and inflation at home.
The call follows bilateral talks Merz held with Trump at the White House earlier in March and comes amid strained transatlantic ties over the crisis as Berlin balances international pressure with domestic political challenges in an election-heavy year.