Several allies of the United States have rejected immediate plans to send their militaries to the Strait of Hormuz after Washington called on foreign governments to help secure the strategic waterway amid the conflict with Iran.

At a news conference on Monday, US President Donald Trump expressed frustration at the hesitation of allies to join a proposed multinational mission to escort oil tankers.

"Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren't. Some are countries that we've helped for many, many years. We've protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren't that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me," he said.

"I think we have one or two that will not do it, that we've been protecting for about 40 years at tens of billions of dollars," he added.

The White House would soon announce countries that have agreed to take part in the coalition, he said, providing no details.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important energy transit routes, with about one-fifth of oil and liquefied natural gas passing through the narrow channel. Disruptions to shipping in recent days have raised concerns about energy supply and global markets.

On Sunday, the US urged seven countries that rely heavily on Middle Eastern energy, including China, France, Japan and the United Kingdom, to deploy naval vessels to help escort commercial ships and ensure freedom of navigation.

Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that it would be "very bad for the future of NATO" if the allies refused to help.

A number of governments said they were not planning to send warships at this stage or emphasized diplomatic approaches to the crisis.

In Australia, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said on Monday that the government had no intentions to deploy naval vessels to the strait.

"I'm informed that we're not intending to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz," King told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, saying the country was monitoring the situation and focusing on protecting Australians in the region.

Japan was cautious and said it currently has "no plans" to dispatch naval vessels to the waterway.

"We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday. "We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework."

'Not our war'

In Europe, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday that Berlin would not take part in military operations linked to reopening the route.

"This is not our war, we have not started it," he said at a news conference in Berlin when asked about the possibility of German naval involvement.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday that "diplomacy needs to prevail", noting that Italy had no naval mission in the region that could be expanded for such operations.

London said it was assessing possible responses but has not committed to sending warships. British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said on Sunday that the government was considering "any options" to help secure the strait while working with partners to address the situation.

The number of US troops who have been wounded or injured during the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran had exceeded 200 across seven countries, a US military spokesman said on Monday, providing the most detailed account yet of how US personnel have been put in harm's way, The Washington Post reported.

The Post cited Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, chief spokesman for US Central Command, as saying that US troops have been wounded in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, primarily in the first few days of the conflict. More than 180 of them have returned to duty.

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com