Trump says he rejected NATO bid for Strait of Hormuz: “Stay out of it. They were useless when they were needed”
President Donald Trump said on Friday he rejected a NATO offer to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iran announced it had reopened the area, telling the US-led alliance to “stay away”, AFP and SkyNews note.
“Now that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is over, I got a call from NATO asking if we need help. I TOLD THEM STAY AWAY if they only want to load their ships with oil,” Trump wrote on his network, Truth Social.
“They were useless when needed, a paper tiger!”
European NATO members have repeatedly rejected Trump's call for the alliance to help forcefully reopen the strait, which Iran had effectively closed after the US attack.
The president has previously warned that NATO could face “a very bleak future” if it does not support US efforts.
Trump published his comments about NATO after another post on his platform, Truth Social, in which he declared that Israel is “forbidden” from bombing Lebanon.
Donald Trump said the US would “recover all 'nuclear dust'”, referring to any debris resulting from US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last year.
“No money will be transferred in any form,” he said.
“This agreement has nothing to do with Lebanon, but the US will work separately with Lebanon and manage the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate way.”
He added that in addition to the US handling the Iran-backed Hezbollah situation, Israel “will stop bombing Lebanon” and “enough is enough”.
Iran's announcement on Friday regarding the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz
Iran said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial traffic for the duration of the truce between Israel and Lebanon, an announcement that immediately sent oil prices down 11 percent.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that the transit of all commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz is “fully open” for the “remaining period of the ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump had announced a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, which came into effect at midnight. Iran had demanded that Israel stop its military operations against Lebanon, the country from which Hezbollah, a “proxy” group of Tehran, operates.
The previously agreed ceasefire between Iran and the US, brokered by Pakistan, also did not include the conflict between Lebanon and Israel, which attacked the neighboring country after Hezbollah launched strikes against Israeli territory after the outbreak of the Middle East conflict on February 28.
Donald Trump: “Thank you”
US President Donald Trump reacted shortly after Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open to navigation and confirmed
“Iran just announced that the strait is fully open and ready for full transit. Thank you!” the US leader wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The war in the Middle East has led to the largest disruption in history of global oil and gas supplies due to Iran blocking traffic through the strait. The strategic trade route handles about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
