Trump: NATO Becomes "Far Better" After Criticism Over Strait of Hormuz

Washington - US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that NATO allies have become “far better” after the US criticised their reluctance to help open the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid US and Israeli military attacks against Iran. Earlier this week, Trump stated that the US does not need assistance from NATO partners and other allies, including Australia, Japan, and South Korea, in its conflict with Iran. He also accused the allies of being unwilling to help and compared the alliance to a “one-way street.” “And in the case of NATO, they do not want to help us defend the Strait [of Hormuz], even though they are the ones who need it,” Trump told reporters ahead of his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House. “But now they are becoming far better because they see my attitude, they are becoming far better,” he added. On 28 February, the US and Israel launched attacks on several targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran retaliated by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East. The escalation around Iranian territory has halted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is the main route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas from Persian Gulf countries to global markets, affecting oil exports and production in the region.