Irked by NATO allies over the lack of support for his appeal to send military to remove Iran’s hold of the Strait of Hormuz amid West Asia conflict, Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at the countries, calling them “cowards”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that without the United States, NATO would be “a paper tiger.” He accused the member nations of refusing to participate in what he framed as an effort to stop a “nuclear-powered Iran,”ย adding that the conflict had already been “militarily won”ย with minimal risk for them.
“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a nuclear-powered Iran. Now that the fight is militarily won, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but donโt want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil price,” he wrote in the post.
“So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” he added.
What prompted Trump’s criticism of NATOย
Trump has been urging key allies, who were neither consulted nor involved in the conflict, to assist in securing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has disrupted global markets, caused large-scale casualties, and displaced millions.
โIn response, countries including Germany, Britain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada said in a joint statement that they would support โappropriate effortsโ to ensure safe passage through the strait. However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated that such involvement would depend on an end to active fighting.
Referring to the Strait of Hormuz as central to the issue, Trump described reopening it as a “simple military manoeuvre”ย and blamed its disruption as the main reason for high oil prices.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after a European Union summit in Brussels, emphasised that upholding international law and promoting de-escalation remained the priority. He noted that there was little appetite among European leaders to enter the conflict directly.
Also read:ย Trump sending military to open Strait of Hormuz? USS Tripoli warship with 2,000 marines heads to Middle East
ย