US President Donald Trump publicly criticized this Monday (16) the lack of “enthusiasm” received by some NATO allies regarding his request for help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, affected by the conflict with Iran. The statements were made during a press conference at the White House
The Republican leader said he predicted actions by the Islamic regime on the strategic route to global energy trade. “I knew the strait would be a weapon,” Trump said, moments after arguing that for too long the US has protected its allies, who are not willing to reciprocate that aid in the Middle East at the moment.
The president stressed that the US does not need the strength of other nations, as it is “the strongest country in the world”, but the current scenario exposes its allies as a “test”, which showed their unwillingness to send efforts to the Middle East.
The president stated that there are American troops protecting these countries, whose names he refused to divulge: “When we ask them, ‘Do you have deminers?’, the answer is, ‘Well, we’d rather not get involved, sir.'”
Trump said some countries have already committed to helping reopen the strategic waterway, but he avoided mentioning their names, suggesting they might “not want to become a target.” According to him, “soon” Secretary of State Marco Rubio will provide a list of countries that have joined the agreement to help ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz.
During the new press conference, the president said he spoke with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who showed some willingness to contribute, and with British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who he said informed him that “he would be meeting with his team to make a decision.”
Over the weekend, Trump asked several allied countries to help allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for transporting oil that is being blocked by Iran in response to U.S. airstrikes.
European Union (EU) foreign ministers are meeting on Monday to discuss how to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but have shown reluctance to expand the EU’s naval mission in the region or send more ships.
Trump threatens to carry out new attacks on Kharg Island, crucial for Iran
Trump warned during Monday’s press conference that he could destroy pipelines on Kharg Island, the heart of Iran’s oil industry, which was bombed by US forces last week, “with just five minutes’ notice.”
“We literally destroyed everything on the island except the area where the oil is. I call it the pipelines. We left the pipelines. We didn’t want to do it, but we will. We can do it with just five minutes’ notice,” Trump declared at a White House press conference.
The US bombed military targets on the island of Kharg, but avoided destroying its oil infrastructure so as not to further disrupt the global hydrocarbons market, already affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump suggests new supreme leader may be dead and says he doesn’t know who governs Iran
The US president said on Monday that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, may be dead, and declared that he does not know who actually leads the Islamic country.
“We haven’t seen him at all, so we don’t know if he’s dead or not,” said the American president at a press conference at the White House about Mojtaba, who has not appeared in public since being appointed supreme leader.
Asked by the press about Mojtaba Khamenei’s health status, Trump responded that “many people say he is disfigured, that he lost a leg and that he was seriously injured.” However, the president also suggested the possibility that Mojtaba was dead, as “no one has seen him, which is very unusual.”
