US President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at US allies who have either declined or shown little interest in his request to send naval escorts for merchant ships through the Persian Gulf.
He complained that Washington has been defending other nations for decades without reciprocal support, reports New York Times.
“You mean for 40 years we’re protecting you, and you don’t want to get involved in something that’s very minor?” Trump said at a White House event with the board of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
He added, “We don’t need anybody; we’re the strongest nation in the world,” framing his appeal for help reopening the Strait of Hormuz as a test of loyalty.
“I’m almost doing it in some cases not because we need them, but because I want to find out how they react.”
Germany, Japan, Italy, and Australia all announced they would not join efforts to secure the strait, which carries about 20% of global oil shipments. France, Britain, and South Korea remained undecided.
Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius gave the sharpest rejection, saying, “This is not our war; we did not start it,” and stressing that sending more warships would not help achieve a diplomatic solution.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London was working with allies on reopening the strait but vowed not to be “drawn into wider war.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Parliament her country had no plans to deploy its navy, while Australia’s transport minister Catherine King said Canberra had not been asked to contribute.
Despite these refusals, Trump insisted “numerous countries have told me that they’re on the way,” though he declined to name them.
The US-Israeli war against Iran, now in its third week, has killed more than 2,000 people in Iran and Lebanon and disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, sending global energy prices soaring. Iran has retaliated with rockets and drones against neighboring states and Gulf shipping.
Trump has pressed NATO to step in, warning that a lack of response would be “very bad for the future of NATO.” A NATO official confirmed allies were discussing possible contributions to Gulf security.
Trump also urged China to send naval escorts, but Beijing has little incentive since Iran continues to sell it oil and allows Chinese vessels safe passage. He said he would postpone his planned March 31 summit with Xi Jinping, noting, “Because of the war, I have to be here.”
Expanding Conflict in Lebanon
Israeli military officials reported Monday that ground forces had expanded operations in southern Lebanon to more than 15 areas, raising fears of a broader invasion as clashes with Hezbollah intensify. Over 800,000 Lebanese have fled their homes, mostly in the south.
Residents fear a repeat of Israel’s occupation from 1982 to 2000. “I feel like this is preparation for an occupation, and I’m afraid history will repeat itself,” said Iman Ibrahim, 30, who fled Blida.
Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders up to 25 miles from the border. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said operations could continue for at least three more weeks.
Leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement warning that a major Israeli ground offensive would have “devastating humanitarian consequences” and must be avoided. Germany separately urged Israel not to escalate further.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said negotiations may follow but insisted Hezbollah’s capabilities must first be degraded.
Wider Regional Fallout
Fragments from Iranian missiles fell in Jerusalem near holy sites, injuring one person. In Dubai, a drone strike damaged a fuel tank at the airport, briefly halting flights. In Tehran, airstrikes knocked out power for hours.
Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a central goal. “You can’t let the most violent, vicious country in the last 50 years have a nuclear weapon, because the Middle East will be gone,” he said, warning Israel would be the first target. He is reportedly considering a risky mission to seize nearly 1,000 pounds of near-bomb-grade uranium stored in Isfahan.
