WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump slammed United States’ allies after they refused to back his call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and secure global oil supplies. Labeling NATO’s refusal a “foolish mistake,” Trump declared, “We do not need the help of anyone!”
Tensions are soaring as the chaotic war with Iran enters its third week, leaving Washington’s strategy in question. Key Trump ally and counterterrorism chief Joe Kent resigned in protest, saying he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war” and accusing Israel and its American lobby of pressuring the US into conflict.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned the US and Israel to halt the fighting, cautioning that “wars are easier to start than stop, and they always get out of hand.”
Washington and Tel Aviv’s isolation is growing as Britain, Germany, and France all rejected his request to deploy warships to the strategic Hormuz shipping route, a vital chokepoint carrying roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil. The waterway has remained largely closed since the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed full control.
Trump took to Truth Social to vent, accusing NATO allies of abandoning the US during a critical military operation against the “terrorist regime of Iran.” He described the alliance as one-sided, saying, “We protect them, but they do nothing for us, particularly in a time of need.”
The war destabilized Middle East, drawn in multiple regional powers, and sent oil prices soaring amid severe supply disruptions. US intelligence predicts that the Iranian regime will survive despite joint US-Israeli efforts to topple it.
US counter terrorism chief Joe Kent also stepped down as director of National Counterterrorism Center, blasting the administration’s Iran war policy and blaming external lobbying pressures. Meanwhile, Gulf nations including Qatar and the UAE faced fresh Iranian missile attacks on critical oil and gas infrastructure, disrupting airspace, though most strikes were intercepted.
With Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked and diplomatic solutions evaporating, Trump’s warnings and NATO tensions raise urgent questions about how, and when the explosive war in the Middle East might end.
UAE considers joining Trump-led campaign to secure Strait of Hormuz
