&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'They weren't there': Trump signals US may abandon NATO if allies refuse to help secure Strait of Hormuz amid Iran war")
US President Donald Trump on Friday (Mar 27) suggested that Washington may not honour its NATO security commitments if allies continue to refuse military support in the Middle East. Speaking at an economic event in Miami, Trump expressed bitter disappointment over Europe’s reluctance to secure the Strait of Hormuz following the wounding of 10 US soldiers at Prince Sultan Air Base. "Why would we be there for them if they're not there for us?" Trump asked. The remarks come as the Iran war enters its fifth week.
'Why should we be there?' Trump questions the cost of protecting NATO allies
"They just weren't there," he said. "We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, hundreds, protecting them, and we would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we?"
Since the start of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran on February 28, the US president has repeatedly voiced frustration over Western allies' lack of support and reluctance to commit forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Since the start of the war, Iran has effectively closed the shipping channel through which over one-fifth of global oil and one-quarter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass daily. The key sea lane remains vulnerable to Iranian attacks.
Traffic through the narrow waterway has ground to a virtual standstill, leading to a surge in global energy prices.
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Six key powers, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, say they are ready to "contribute to appropriate efforts" but have not made any commitment.
Trump calls NATO ‘COWARDS’
Trump has increasingly directed his anger at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In recent days, he has labelled other member states “COWARDS” and argued that, without Washington, the alliance amounts to little more than a “paper tiger.”
Posting on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump claimed that the United States “needs nothing from NATO,” insisting that the alliance has failed to contribute meaningfully to the current confrontation with Iran.
According to him, “NATO nations have done absolutely nothing to help with the lunatic nation, now militarily decimated, of Iran.”
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
