Trump rebukes NATO allies as Europe refuses Hormuz mission

US President Donald Trump lashed out on social media at several NATO allies for opposing the formation of an international coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Allies that have kept their distance from Washington’s call say the US and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran without prior consultation.

Trump wrote: “After achieving such a major military success, we no longer need the help of NATO countries, nor do we want it, nor have we ever wanted it. Likewise, we do not need the help of Japan, Australia or South Korea. As the President of the United States, the most powerful country in the world, I say we do not need anyone’s help.”

Trump accuses allies of ingratitude

Trump said most NATO members had previously agreed that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons, yet refused to join the US-led military operation.

The US president accused allies of abandoning Washington after benefiting for years from the American security umbrella, saying the alliance had become “a one-way relationship.”

Trump also said the war had eliminated Iran’s military capacity. He stated that Iran’s navy, air force and air defence infrastructure had been destroyed, and that some figures within Iran’s leadership had been neutralised.

European capitals reject military participation

Trump’s remarks came after European governments publicly rejected participation in a US-led naval operation aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed following Iran’s response to US and Israeli strikes on February 28.

A spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “This is not NATO’s war.” The spokesperson added that Washington had not consulted European capitals before launching the process and therefore the matter was “not the responsibility of NATO or the German government.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK “will not be drawn into a wider war” and confirmed that no warships would be deployed to the operation.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece and Europe would not take part in any military operation near Iran.

Mitsotakis said: “The simple answer is no. Greece will not participate in any activity around the current operational theatre. I believe Europe will not be militarily involved in this conflict but should focus on the economic consequences of the crisis.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also stressed that Paris “will not participate in operations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz under current conditions” and that France “is not a party to this conflict.”

Hormuz crisis rattles energy markets

Meanwhile, European Union leaders are preparing to meet in Brussels on Thursday to assess short-term measures to reduce electricity prices.

At the heart of the crisis is Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to US and Israeli strikes. Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply transits through the waterway, and its closure has pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel.