Trump threatens NATO with "dire future" if allies fail to help secure Hormuz Strait
London (ANTARA) - United States President Donald Trump on Sunday, 15 March, threatened that NATO would face a “very dire” future if its allies failed to take action to help Washington maintain the Strait of Hormuz as an open passage, according to reporting by the Financial Times (FT).
In a telephone interview with the British newspaper, Trump renewed pressure on European allies, urging them to join US operations regarding the strait, which constitutes a crucial global oil shipping route.
He stated that Europe was the primary beneficiary of navigation through that waterway and should assist in ensuring “nothing bad happens there”.
He also cautioned that NATO’s future would be “very dire” if his allies “do not respond” or provide a “negative response” to Washington’s requests.
Trump argued that the United States had previously assisted Europe regarding the Ukraine issue, and now was the time to “see if they help us”.
He also expressed his long-held belief that NATO represents a “one-way street”, meaning the US would always support its allies, but they would not necessarily assist Washington when needed.
Regarding the United Kingdom, Trump stated that the country was often regarded as America’s “number one” and “longest-serving” ally, but the UK “did not want to come” when the US requested assistance. He added that the UK only offered to send ships after the US “had essentially eliminated the threat capacity” that existed.
“We needed those ships before we won, not after we won,” Trump said, according to the report.
According to the report, Trump stated that the US was prepared to launch fresh strikes against Kharg Island, Iran’s principal oil export centre, and could also target the country’s oil infrastructure.
On 28 February, Israel and the US conducted a combined assault on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran subsequently retaliated with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting various Israeli and US bases and assets throughout the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, on Saturday, 14 March, stated in a statement that the Strait of Hormuz was not militarily closed, but rather “merely under control”.