US President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Nato allies on Friday, labeling them as “cowards” for their refusal to join the US-led military campaign against Iran.
In a scathing Truth Social post, Trump dismissed the alliance as a “PAPER TIGER” without American support, criticising members for complaining about high oil prices while refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. 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. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” said Trump.
Trump’s remarks came as several countries responded cautiously or declined his call to deploy warships to escort merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries roughly a fifth of global crude oil supply.
The standoff has unfolded as global oil prices have surged between 40% and 50% following Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and waves of missile and drone strikes across the Gulf, in retaliation for the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.
Earlier, Trump had said the US did not need support from its allies as it continued military operations against Iran, while also revealing that several Nato members had refused to take part in the campaign.
In another post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump wrote, “The United States has been informed by most of our Nato ‘allies’ that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,”
Trump also warned that the lack of support would be “very bad for the future of Nato”, telling the Financial Times that allied reluctance to join the effort could damage the bloc’s future.
