Trump lashes out at ‘non-responsive’ NATO allies again and says they would ‘move into gear fast’ if he ‘finished off Iran’ and handed Strait of Hormuz over to them

Donald Trump has lashed out at his “unresponsive” NATO allies, claiming they will “quickly kick into gear” if he “finishes off Iran” before handing them the Strait of Hormuz.

Tensions between the US President and Europe have been rising in recent days after a number of leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, rejected his demand for a “joint effort” to unblock the canal through which around 20 per cent of global oil flows.

The EU has told Trump and Iran to stop their war, while Emmanuel Macron insisted France would not send its navy to help escort ships passing through the strait.

Sir Keir also said Britain would ‘not send ships’ to protect oil tankers from Iranian attacks.

Trump reacted with an angry post on Truth Social; He hit back hard at NATO, describing the alliance as ‘a one-way street’ and saying ‘we no longer ‘need’ or desire the assistance of NATO Countries – WE NEVER HAVE!’ he declared.

In another post on Wednesday, the US President wrote: ‘I wonder what would happen if we ‘completed’ what was left of the Iranian Terrorist State and allowed the Countries that used it (we didn’t) to be responsible for the so-called ‘Straight’?’

‘This would allow some of our unresponsive ‘Allies’ to take action quickly!!!’

The US President has asked allies to join a mission to protect shipping in the Gulf but was rebuffed by Sir Keir Starmer, who said Britain ‘will not send ships’ to protect oil tankers from Iranian attacks

Mr Trump accused NATO members of making a ‘stupid mistake’ by refusing to help the US navy in the strait.

The President is under pressure to reopen oil as the shutdown of Iran has increased oil prices around the world and led to fears of a global economic crisis.

In angry remarks from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump insisted that ‘we don’t need any help’ from NATO.

“But they should have been there,” he added.

He attacked Sir Keir, claiming the war was a ‘great test’ for private relations and said it was ‘always for the best’ until a Labor prime minister ‘arrives’.

French President Macron was also criticized for refusing to send French ships to the Bosphorus.

“We are not a party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or save the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron said in a statement following Trump’s request for allies to help secure the critical artery, which was effectively closed by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks. he said.

‘However, we believe that we are ready to take responsibility for the escort system together with other countries when the situation calms down.’

And when asked by journalists on Tuesday to comment on Macron’s comments, Trump said: ‘He will be leaving office very soon.’

‘It would be in everyone’s interest for this war to stop,’ European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, adding: ‘The problem with wars is that it is easier to start than to stop, and it always gets out of control.’

“We are consulting with regional countries such as the Gulf countries, Jordan and Egypt on whether we can make suggestions to help Iran, Israel and the USA get out of this situation and save everyone’s reputation,” he said.

Kallas said the door was not closed to European participation in efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but that this would likely come as part of a diplomatic solution.

Estonia’s former prime minister added that Europe did not understand some of the US’s actions under the Trump administration or its goals in Iran, but had become accustomed to Trump’s unpredictability and was ‘calmer’ in its reactions.

While NATO countries continue to refuse to be dragged further into war with Tehran, they have turned to Trump, who has demanded their support in reopening the key transit point for oil and gas.

The US President recently asked his allies to join a mission to protect shipping in the Gulf but was rebuffed by Sir Keir Starmer, who said the UK ‘will not send ships’ to protect oil tankers from Iranian attacks.

Germany, Italy, Greece and Australia have also refused to join efforts to reopen the crucial waterway, which normally carries more than 20 million barrels of oil and LNG a day.

Following the en masse refusal from his allies, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday: ‘The United States has been informed by most of our NATO ‘Allies’ that they do not wish to participate in our Military Operation against the Iranian Terrorist Regime in the Middle East; This is despite the fact that almost every Country strongly accepts what we are doing and Iran cannot be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon in any way, shape or form.’

He continued: ‘But I was not surprised by their actions because I have always viewed NATO as a one-way street where we spend Hundreds of Billions a year protecting the same countries. We will protect them, but they will do nothing to us, especially in our time of need.’

The US President is desperately trying to open the strait as the Iranian regime’s ongoing shutdown causes a rise in oil prices and triggers fears of a global economic crisis.

She recently launched an attack against Sir Keir, claiming he was ‘not happy’ and that Britain’s approach to the conflict was ‘horrible’.

But Finnish President Alexander Stubb rushed to the Prime Minister’s defense, saying he admired Sir Keir’s ability to ‘stay calm’.

Asked whether NATO allies, including Finland, would join the US, Stubb said Russia should be ‘interested’.

He told the BBC: ‘It was a surprise attack so none of us knew about it and that’s probably why there was reluctance and some pushback.

‘We have our own backyard to tend to, we have a 1,340 kilometer border with Russia… We wouldn’t have much to give. We have no basis to give, no such things. I think what I want to see now is more peace mediation rather than an escalation of the situation.’

Meanwhile, the EU said ‘no one’ intended to ‘harm’ soldiers on the waterway.

Oil prices rose rapidly after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Kallas had previously said: ‘No one is ready to endanger their own people in the Strait of Hormuz. ‘We need to find diplomatic ways to keep this open so that we don’t have a food crisis, a fertilizer crisis, an energy crisis.’

He added that the EU is ready to invest in relations with the US, but it takes two to tango.

He echoed Germany’s comments claiming that this was ‘not our war’.

The country’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected Trump’s demands and downplayed threats that such a stance by allies would harm NATO.

‘(…) What does Donald Trump expect a handful or two of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US navy cannot?’ said Berlin.

‘This is not our war, we didn’t start it.’

Asked about Trump’s warning that NATO would face a “very bad” future if its members did not come to Washington’s aid, Pistorius said he did not expect NATO to break up because of these differences.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: ‘There was never a joint decision on whether to intervene. Therefore, the question of how Germany can contribute militarily does not arise. “We will not do this.”

He added: ‘This Iranian regime must end’ but ‘based on all our experience in previous years and decades, bombing it into submission is probably not the right approach.’