April 9 (Reuters) – NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has informed some countries that US President Donald Trump wants concrete aid commitments in the coming days to guarantee the security of the Strait of Hormuz, three European diplomats told Reuters this Thursday.
Rutte met with Trump in Washington on Wednesday, amid tensions within the alliance over the war in Iran.
“The secretary-general is in contact with allies about the discussions he had in Washington,” NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said on Thursday. ‘It is clear that the United States expects commitments and concrete actions to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,’ he added.
The US president has repeatedly called NATO a ‘paper tiger’ and threatened in recent weeks to withdraw from the 32-member transatlantic alliance. Trump argued that European allies relied on Washington’s security assurances while providing inadequate support for the US and Israeli bombing campaign in Iran.
‘We noticed the frustration in Washington, but they did not consult their allies either before or after they started this war,’ said one of the diplomats.
‘NATO as such would not play a role in the war against Iran, but the allies want to be helpful in seeking long-term solutions for the Strait of Hormuz. With ongoing negotiations with Iran, this could be useful,’ the diplomat said.
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Although Trump said on Tuesday that attacks on Iran would be suspended during a two-week ceasefire, the fallout from the conflict continues to strain relations.
After the meeting, Trump posted in all capital letters on Truth Social the following message: ‘NATO wasn’t there when we needed it, and it won’t be there if we need it again.’
Known in Europe as a ‘Trump advisor’, Dutchman Rutte has been criticized for frequently praising the American leader. In an interview with CNN after Wednesday’s meeting, he said that Trump ‘is clearly disappointed in a lot of NATO allies, and I understand his point of view.’
A senior European official stated that ‘the NATO community is more concerned than confident at the moment’ and that ‘the meeting did not dispel concern’.
