Donald Trump has again pressed allies to join the United States-led military effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that NATO will have a “very bad future” if Washington does not receive help in the Gulf efforts.
“If there is no response or if it is a negative response, I think it will be a very bad future for NATO,” Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday night (the 15th).
The statement comes as the war with Iran enters its third week without the United States having managed to reopen the route through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
Trump expressed pessimism about allies’ willingness to meet the request, and again said that the United States helped Europe in the war in Ukraine and now wants to see whether they will receive help in return.
When asked about the type of support desired, Trump replied: “Whatever it takes.” The president said that allies should send mine-hunting aircraft, an area where Europe would have more capacity than the United States, and also suggested wanting military help to neutralize Iranians who were causing trouble in the Gulf with drones and naval mines.
Trump also pressed China, arguing that Beijing, like Europe, depends more on Gulf oil than the United States itself and, therefore, should participate in the operation. He stated that it is “appropriate” that the beneficiaries of the Strait help ensure that nothing bad happens there.
The American also said he might delay his trip to China, scheduled for the end of the month, if Beijing does not help unlock the Strait.
Trump also again threatened Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub. According to the paper, he said the United States had struck the island, except the pipelines, and that they could attack the local oil infrastructure in five minutes.
When asked about possible help from Russia to Iran with satellite data to hit the U.S. and Israel’s missile defenses, Trump said that he could not say whether that was happening.
