Donald Trump has accused NATO allies of cowardice for refusing to support the United States in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, the US president described the alliance as ineffective, intensifying his rhetoric as tensions continue to escalate following weeks of military action involving Iran.
The remarks come nearly three weeks after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, with growing concerns that the situation could spiral further amid warnings that Trump is “losing control” of the conflict.
Donald Trump Criticises NATO Allies Over Strait Of Hormuz Crisis
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, has effectively been blocked by Iran through missile and drone attacks targeting vessels attempting to navigate the route.
This disruption has driven oil prices sharply higher, fuelling fears of wider economic instability across global markets.
Trump had earlier urged allied nations, including the UK, to deploy naval forces to the region to counter the Iranian threat. However, those calls have so far gone unanswered.
In one post, he wrote: “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 fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”
Conflicting Messages As Trump Escalates Rhetoric Against Allies
Trump’s criticism appears to contradict his earlier statement this week in which he claimed the United States did not require assistance from NATO, accusing the alliance of abandoning America “in its time of need”.
His latest comments also follow a separate post in which he issued a pointed message to what he described as “non-responsive” allies.
He wrote: “I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?’
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“That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!”
The escalating rhetoric highlights growing tensions not only in the region but also between Washington and its traditional partners, as the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz continues to unfold.
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