'Putin fears US, not Europe': Trump as Nato allies skip his Hormuz mission

Trump criticised NATO allies for not joining his effort to keep the Strait of Hormuz "open"

US President Donald Trump on Monday slammed his Nato allies for declining to participate in efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, as he said that the United States remained the main source of the alliance’s strength.

 

“Putin fears us,” Trump said, adding, “You can ask Putin. He has no fear of Europe whatsoever.”

 

He added that Washington had supported European security interests but did not receive similar support.

 

“We do not have to do anything about Ukraine, but we protected them, and they did not do the same for us,” he said.

 

Trump had earlier asked allied countries to send warships to maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route for global energy shipments.

 

Trump says US can secure the strait without allies

During a press conference, Trump said the United States did not depend on support from other countries.

 

“We do not need anybody. We are the strongest nation in the world,” he said. He described the issue of securing the Strait of Hormuz as a test of alliance commitments.

 

“I have been saying for years that if we ever needed them, they would not be there,” Trump said.

 

When asked why the United States could not reopen the waterway immediately if Iranian mine-laying vessels had already been destroyed, Trump replied that cooperation from shipping operators was necessary.

 

“We could, but it takes two to tango,” he said, adding that the US needed others willing to move large commercial ships through the route.

 

“We have to get people to take their billion-dollar ship and drive it up,” he said.

 

Trump repeated that assistance from other countries would emerge, although he did not provide details about which countries had agreed to participate.

 

“We are going to have some good help,” he said.

'Don't know who their leader is': Trump on negotiations with Iran

Trump also spoke about Iran’s political leadership, stating that Washington had limited clarity about who was currently in charge.

 

“We do not know who their leader is,” he said, adding, “All of their leaders are dead, as far as we know.”

 

He referred to reports about Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, saying that the individual had not appeared publicly since being named as successor to his father.

 

“Nobody has seen him, which is unusual,” Trump said, adding that reports suggested he was “badly disfigured”.

 

Despite the conflict, Trump said the United States remained open to discussions with Iran but claimed that potential negotiators had not been clearly identified.

 

“We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are,” he said.

Trump's comments on China and Europe

Trump also referred to China’s dependence on energy supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

 

“It always amazed me that we did it,” he said about the United States protecting the waterway. “We never asked for reimbursement and it was really there to serve other countries, not us.”

 

He said he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday and expected some form of participation from France.

 

“I think he is going to help,” Trump said, without specifying the nature of that support.

 

Trump added that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would soon release a list of countries willing to assist in securing the strait.

 

According to Trump, several countries have expressed interest in participating, but did not name which ones. He further mentioned Japan, China, South Korea and several European countries as major consumers of oil transported through the route.

 

“We get less than 1 per cent of our oil from the strait, so the countries that get a lot of oil from there, Japan, South Korea, they should come and join us,” Trump said. “They should be helping us.”

US struck 7,000 targets across Iran, war continues in 'full force': Trump

Trump also addressed US military operations in Iran, stating that the campaign continued at full intensity.

 

US forces struck more than 7,000 locations across Iran since the start of the conflict, he said, targeting commercial and military facilities.

 

“Since the beginning of the conflict, we have struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran. These have mostly been commercial and military targets. We have achieved a 90 per cent reduction in their ballistic missile launches and a 95 per cent reduction in drone attacks,” Trump said.

 

He said the strikes had significantly weakened Iran’s military capability.

 

“They have been literally obliterated,” Trump said. “They do not have many missiles left. As you know, we have targeted Khazar islands. We are aggressively dismantling Iran’s ability to make missiles,” he added. 

US actions against Iranian naval capabilities

Trump also addressed security concerns in the Persian Gulf and the risk of mines being deployed in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

He said the United States had destroyed Iran’s mine-laying vessels but warned that other boats could still be used to deploy mines.

 

According to Trump, US forces struck all 30 Iranian ships equipped for laying naval mines.

 

“We do not know that they have dropped anything,” he said when asked whether mines had already been placed in the strait.

 

Trump cites Israel cooperation and calls for international support

 

Trump said the United States was acting with Israel during the conflict and argued that such action should have taken place earlier.

 

“With the help of Israel, the United States is doing what it should have done years ago, many more years ago,” he said.

Trump comments on relations with Venezuela

Trump also spoke about US energy ties with Venezuela.

 

“The relationship with Venezuela has been amazing,” he said. “We have taken out millions of barrels of oil, we have been using it, refiners are set up for that.”

 

Earlier this year, Trump removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power.