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President Donald Trump assailed Nato allies on Friday over their lack of support for the US-Israel war against Iran, calling the longtime US allies “cowards.”
“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!” Trump said in a social media post.
Trump has been calling for major US allies and others, none of which were consulted or advised on the war, to help secure the safety of shipping through the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has roiled global markets, killed thousands and displaced millions since US-Israel strikes began on Feb.28.
The US president complained Nato countries did not want to join the fight against Iran, yet still complain about high oil prices.
“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,” he wrote.
“COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”
On Thursday, six major international powers, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan said they were ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts” to secure the Strait of Hormuz. But they have not formally committed to any mission to work in the crucial waterway — while other allies such as Germany and Italy have ruled out doing anything before a truce in the Middle East war.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made clear that this presupposed an end to combat. French President Emmanuel Macron said after a European Union summit in Brussels that defending international law and promoting de-escalation was “the best we can do,” adding: “I have not heard anyone here express a willingness to enter this conflict — quite the opposite.”
None of the countries Trump has called on to help was consulted before the US-Israeli mission started.
An effective Iranian blockade has paralysed commercial shipping through the crucial maritime chokepoint, which in peacetime sees a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas pass through it.
MORE DEPLOYMENT
The US military is deploying a large amphibious assault ship with thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East, three US officials told Reuters on Friday, as Iran’s new supreme leader hailed Iran’s “unity” and “resistance.” One US official confirmed on Friday that the USS Boxer and two other amphibious assault ships, along with roughly 2,500 Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, have deployed from their home port of San Diego and are bound for the Middle East.
Two other US officials confirmed that the ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
Nato has pulled its security advisory mission out of Iraq and relocated several hundred personnel involved in the effort to Europe. The move came after a series of attacks from Iran on other troops at British, French and Italian bases in northern Iraq.
Nato’s top commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, confirmed that the last troops left on Friday. He thanked the government of Iraq and allies who helped to safely relocate them, as well as the troops involved, calling them “true professionals.”
In a separate development, Iran’s military threatened on Friday to hunt down officials and army commanders from the United States and Israel even while they were vacationing or visiting entertainment centres.
“We are watching your cowardly officials and commanders, pilots and wicked soldiers,” armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi said, quoted by state TV.
“From now on, based on the information we have on you, the promenades, resorts and tourist and entertainment centres in the world will not be safe for you either.”
Iran also threatened to target recreational and tourist sites worldwide and insisted it was still building missiles. Friday’s show of defiance came nearly three weeks into US-Israeli strikes that have killed a slew of Tehran’s top leaders and hammered its weapons and energy industries.
Agencies
