Trump threatens to let allies resolve Strait of Hormuz blockade alone

European and Asian countries refuse to send military personnel to reopen Strait of Hormuz United States President Donald Trump suggested this Wednesday (18) that he could let United States allies guarantee free passage through the Strait of Hormuz on their own. In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said his country does not need the strait, vital for global oil transport, and will therefore “let the countries that use it” find a solution. “I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished’ what remains of the Iranian terrorist state and left the countries that use it – not us – responsible for the so-called ‘Straits’. That would awaken some of our indifferent ‘allies’,” he wrote. US President Donald Trump speaks as he meets Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin at the White House in Washington, DC REUTERS/Evan Vucci US European and Asian allies have refused Trump’s repeated requests for minesweeper ships and other equipment to clear the strait, which Iran has blockaded in response to American and Israeli strikes. This latest statement in Truth Social suggests that the United States may abandon the situation altogether, leaving other countries to deal with the consequences. Iran is trying to use its control over the maritime passage as a way to pressure the United States and Israel against attacks that have decimated its Navy, hit thousands of targets across the country and killed its top leaders. Although only a few commercial vessels were hit by Iranian fire, the threat was enough to paralyze shipping, causing global oil prices to soar.

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