WARSAW, Poland — Poland and Lithuania are making clear their intention to aid American operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid denials that the United States is reducing troops on the eastern flank of NATO.

Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kestutis Budrys told reporters in Vilnius on Thursday that although his country was “not part of [operations in Iran] from the beginning,” they are now “on our way” to aid the U.S. in opening the Strait of Hormuz.