President Trump is seeking help to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, but responses from traditional U.S. allies range from tepid noncommittal to outright refusal. This has cast a shadow on Trump’s attack on Iran, which has been unpopular with the American public. The president has responded with a mixture of defensiveness and defiance, insisting that the United States is the strongest in the world and that American might make assistance from other nations unnecessary. Despite this, there is a lack of enthusiasm in Europe for involvement in a Middle East conflict under Trump‘s leadership. The political peril for Trump is obvious as midterm elections are looming.