Oil prices have surged after Iran effectively shut the world's busiest oil shipping channel to tankers after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against the country just over two weeks ago.

President Donald Trump has urged the UK and other countries to send warships to the Gulf to help protect the shipping channel. Iran has threatened to attack any ships it considers linked to the US, while there is also a risk from sea mines.

However, allies such as the UK and Germany have ruled out assisting Washington.

On Tuesday, Tsahkna said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is very complicated and that he does not see any de-escalation.

"The President of the United States has said that he expects support from NATO allies, but providing it does not happen in the abstract. Estonia's position is that if the United States raises this issue, for example, within NATO or bilaterally, we are certainly ready to discuss these questions," he told ERR.

The foreign minister said it is first necessary to determine what kind of assistance and support the United States is seeking and what the objective would be.

"If we are talking about military assistance, there must be very clear plans," he stressed. "At present, we can say that the European side is not aware of the strategic objectives of the United States. To be honest, we were not aware even when this war began, so in that sense, there are many questions."

Tsahkna said Estonia has been a reliable partner to the United States, highlighting missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said Estonia always supports its ally when needed.

What is the U.S. asking for?

Estonia has three mine countermeasure vessels, and active-duty personnel participate in foreign operations in both larger and smaller units. It is not yet clear what Estonia's contribution would be.

"All of this actually depends on what the United States asks for, if it asks. As of now, no official request has been made at the NATO level. There are various allied countries that are ready to discuss the issue, but there are also those — for example, Germany and the United Kingdom — that have said they do not foresee sending their troops there. All of this is still very preliminary," Tsahkna said.

The foreign minister also acknowledged that Estonia does not have many capabilities to contribute.

"We must also take into account that the Strait of Hormuz is just over 30 kilometers wide in places. If we are talking theoretically about ships or maritime navigation, this would mean that the coastline would also have to be brought under control, since from there it is very easy to strike anything moving at sea," Tsahkna said.

He reiterated the complexity of the situation and stressed that the threat from Russia to Europe has not disappeared.

"It is waging a full-scale war in Ukraine and is likewise threatening our region, so this is a more complex picture. I do not see this situation in the Middle East being resolved easily or quickly," the minister added.

Another Coalition of the Willing?

If NATO or the European Union does not reach a consensus, then Estonia could also contribute as part of a separate coalition.

"If we look at various missions over recent decades, these have usually taken place in the form of coalitions, meaning that some kind of grouping of countries is formed. Launching a full NATO mission—its purpose is defense—is always much more complicated, as it requires the consent of all member states, which we may not even see at the moment," Tsahkna said.

Asked whether Estonia is pressuring allies in intergovernmental negotiations to assist the United States, Tsahkna replied: "Estonia has stated its political positions: we support the United States and also Israel in terms of weakening the Iranian regime and dismantling its weapons programs. We support that side politically, but our role is not to conduct negotiations or to call on other member states to intervene militarily — each country decides for itself."

"Estonia, as a NATO ally, is at the table and communication is active. Just last night I spoke with our ambassador Jüri Luik and received an overview of who has discussed what with whom. Estonia is active in this community," he added.

MP: Important to persuade allies to come to U.S.' aid

Reform Party MP and chairman of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said developments in the Middle East show the U.S. will not be able to achieve the success it hoped for without allies.

"He [Trump] may, actually, also be working toward something that ultimately serves Estonia's security policy interests — that an alliance framework is necessary for all participating countries, including the United States," he said.

What kind of contribution allies could make to keeping international sea routes open is key, the MP continued. At the same time, this was not the time for an "I told you so" moment.

"I think there should be no room here for such thoughtless arrogance as if to say, 'look, you used to insult us and now you want our help.' What is happening in the global economy is in all of our interests. There are more places requiring attention than just the Strait of Hormuz, especially if we consider, for example, the actions of Yemen's Houthi forces in similarly disrupting trade routes in the Red Sea," Mihkelson said.

Developments in the Middle East should also be discussed in the context of Ukraine, Mihkelson added, including Washington's support for Kyiv.

"We must also talk about this with America's allies, because we are seeing that Russia has not curbed its aggression. It does not truly seek peace on terms that would serve Ukrainian interests. Russia is demanding capitulation, not peace. In such a situation, America's allies must also understand that the contribution made so far toward achieving peace in Ukraine is insufficient."

Russia's use of Iranian-made Shahed drones in its invasion of Ukraine should also concentrate minds.

"Let us bear in mind, for instance, that Iran, together with Russia, is waging this war against Europe. The first Iranian drone struck a target in Ukraine in April 2022, so these conflicts cannot be viewed as separate conflicts," he added.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz both said on Monday that Iran is not NATO's war, and rejected Trump's call for help in the Strait of Hormuz.

On this, Mihkelson said: "This is always such a euphemism. What exactly does that mean? We can see that our ally, Turkey, has actually already been partly targeted. A NATO war becomes a reality whenever one of our allied countries gets attacked. As to whether what is happening affects our security, the answer is 'of course' — and not only indirectly, but also directly."

Mutual gloating between allies would fracture the alliance space and play only into Russia's hands, the MP noted.

Estonia should not consider sending military resources right now, as the country's own security environment is a dynamic one, he believes. However, Estonia should engage in active diplomatic work to raise issues among allies that are important for maintaining unity and shaping a common strategy.

Mihkelson stressed that Estonia's task is to explain to European countries that helping the U.S. and acting together is in the interests of all. He pointed out that developments in the Persian Gulf affect the global economy and are not solely an American concern.

"From this, conclusions are drawn about whether we are capable of ensuring the openness of international sea routes or not, and whether we have sufficient strength and political will to do so. Playing at isolation certainly does not help. It is clear that no matter how this war ends at the moment, instability in the Middle East is likely to persist for quite a long time. This means that if we do not pay attention to it in cooperation with our allies, we will not strengthen our own security either," the chairman concluded.

Defense minister: We must be prepared to hold the discussion

Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) told the evening news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" that closing the Strait of Hormuz would have very wide-ranging impacts. It is a shared task of allies to consider how to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, he added.

"If one ally proposes discussing the issue, it is entirely reasonable to look at what we can do together. At the moment, nothing specific has been requested. When the Americans have a clearer understanding of what they expect from allies, we must be ready to have that discussion," Pevkur said.

He emphasized that there is currently no clear understanding of what exactly is expected. The defense minister noted that one of the most active measures Estonia has participated in within NATO operations is a mine countermeasures group.

"Whether a NATO mine countermeasures group will be involved or whether some contribution from demining specialists is expected or instead from ship protection teams — it is too early to say," Pevkur added.

The defense minister explained that the Strait of Hormuz is quite difficult to secure, as at its narrowest points it is 30 to 40 kilometers wide and a very large portion of the navigable area lies closer to the Iranian coast, meaning that ships are within artillery range.

"Establishing protection against artillery means that you also have to control the shoreline and therefore this is certainly not a very simple task," he said.

Pevkur said it is reasonable to discuss protecting the strait within NATO, as the alliance has the necessary structures and organizational framework in place.

"However, we have also had bilateral agreements with our American allies, for example, most recently in Erbil, Iraq," he added.

The article was updated to add comments from Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.

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