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Good morning from the Financial Times.
Today is Tuesday, March 17th, and this is your FT News Briefing.
NATO allies don't want to get involved in the Middle East conflict.
Had Trump behaved in a more conventional way, had he not slapped them with tariffs,
insulted them, threatened to invade Greenland, would they be more cooperative now?
And can China's oil stockpile carry it through the war?
Plus, Italy's Unicredit sweetened its bid for Germany's Commerce Bank.
I'm Sonia Hudson, and here's the news you need to start your day.
The UK, France, and Germany yesterday rejected U.S.
demands for them to join a naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has effectively closed it by attacking ships there.
20% of the world's oil exports passed through it before the conflict started.
Here to talk more about what the straits closure means strategically in the short and long term is Gideon Rockman.
He's the FT's chief foreign affairs commentator.
Hi, Gideon.