US President Donald Trump expressed frustration on Tuesday after several Western allies, including Germany, Italy and Spain, declined his request to send warships to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.Several key US partners cited domestic legal limits for refusing the request. German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin lacked the mandate from the United Nations, European Union, or NATO and added that Germany had not been consulted prior to the war, reported Reuters.
Trump said many countries had initially indicated willingness to help, but he was disappointed with some longstanding allies. “Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me,” he said.Despite urging allies to assist with the Strait of Hormuz, Trump while speaking at White House on Tuesday stressed that the US could manage alone, and it doesn’t need anyone.
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“We don’t need anybody. We’re the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world. We don’t need them, but it’s interesting,” he said, underlining that the outreach was partly a test of allied commitment.When asked if France would help reopen the strait, Trump, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron, said, “I think he’s gonna help. I mean, I’ll let you know. I spoke to him yesterday.”Last week, Macron announced the deployment of aircraft and warships to the Middle East, eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea in a move he called strictly “defensive.”
UK support delayed, Trump displeased
Trump also criticised the United Kingdom, claiming London initially declined a request to deploy two aircraft carriers at the start of the conflict. “Then right after the war essentially ended… I don’t need them after the war has ended and won. I needed it before the war, so I was very upset. Not upset, I was not happy with the UK,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. Trump explained that his outreach was partly aimed at testing allies’ readiness to support the US in times of need. “I’m almost doing it in some cases, not because we need them, but because I want to find out how they react. Because I’ve been saying for years that if we ever did need them, they won’t be there, not all of them, but they won’t be there,” he said, adding that the US had spent significant resources securing its allies.
Regional war escalates, Strait of Hormuz remains closed
The US, in coordination with Israel, launched strikes on Iran on February 28, targeting key military and administrative infrastructure. The strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several senior officials, delivering a severe blow to the country’s leadership.Iran ever since has retaliated with drone and missile strikes on Israel and US bases across the Middle East, also targeting Gulf states. Tehran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz.
