Donald Trump has again pressed allies to join the US-led military effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that NATO will have a “very bad future” if Washington does not have help in the efforts in the Gulf.
“If there is no response or if it is a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” Trump said in an interview with Financial Times published on Sunday night (15).
The declaration comes at a time when the war with Iran enters its third week without the US having managed to reopen the route through which around a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
Trump demonstrated pessimism about the allies’ willingness to respond to the request, and again said that the US helped Europe in the Ukraine war and now wants to see if they will receive help in return.
When asked what kind of support he wanted, Trump responded, “Whatever it takes.” The president said that allies should send minesweepers, an area in which Europe would have more capacity than the US, and also suggested that he wanted military help to neutralize Iranians who were causing problems in the Gulf with drones and naval mines.
Trump also put pressure on China, arguing that Beijing, like Europe, depends more on Gulf oil than the US itself and, therefore, should participate in the operation. He said it is “appropriate” that the Strait’s beneficiaries help ensure nothing bad happens there.
Continues after advertising
The American also said he may postpone his trip to China, scheduled for the end of the month, if Beijing does not help unblock the strait.
Trump also once again threatened the island of Kharg, Iran’s main oil export hub. According to the newspaper, he said that the US had hit the island, except for 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 target US and Israeli missile shields, Trump replied that he could not say whether this was happening.
