Trump Defiant After Allies Snub Call to Protect Strait of Hormuz: 'We Don't Need Any Help'

President Trump says the US no longer needs help defending the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian threat, a day after he called on allies to 'get involved' in the conflict.

Trump clapped back against 'most' of the US's NATO allies after some rebuffed his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a pivotal chokepoint in the global oil trade. Traffic through the route came to a standstill early this month, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps blocked all passage.

'We don't need any help, actually,' Trump said, addressing reporters who were present for his meeting with Ireland's prime minister Micheál Martin. His statement conflicts with his stance on 16 March, when he said that 'numerous countries' were 'on their way' to assist.

Trump Slams NATO's Lack of Support

Trump addressed the issue at length on social media, stating he's not surprised by the lack of support. 'I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,' he wrote in a Truth Social post.

After declaring that the US has decimated Iran's military installations and forces, Trump asserted the NATO countries' assistance was never really needed.

'Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer "need," or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,' he added.

Trump had been mustering support to patrol the strait for the past two weeks, but his call garnered lukewarm response. 'This is not our war; we have not started it,' German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said per NBC News.

French President Emmanuel Macron was more measured in his response, asserting the country would only participate once the conflict is resolved. '[France would] never take part in operations to open or free the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,' he stated.

'Bullying' Tactics Caused Diplomatic Fallout

Critics blame the POTUS's aggressive diplomacy for the fallout. 'Trump's bullying and tendency to negotiate by megaphone don't go down well with European allies,' former British ambassador to the US, Peter Westmacott, told the outlet.

Trump's approach to the Iran conflict was also compared with President George H.W. Bush's campaign for Operation Desert Storm, the US-led operation that dismantled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime in 1991.

Thanks to Bush's diplomacy, the Gulf War 'became, literally, Saddam Hussein against the world,' former State Department official Aaron Miller said. He added that the same cannot be said about the US-Israel attack on Iran.

US Diplomats Directed to Rally for Foreign Support

More than two weeks after the strike, the State Department has reportedly started rallying support through US diplomats. All have been directed to convince foreign governments 'at the highest appropriate level' to 'move expeditiously to diminish the capabilities of Iran' due to an 'elevated risk of attack,' NBC News reported.

'He's asking us to help for a war he started,' a European diplomat told the outlet. 'There is not much enthusiasm for this. And even if European navies are sent to the Gulf, it would not ensure the strait is reopened. Iran can keep it closed as long as it likes because all it takes is a drone or a mine.'

Senator Lindsey Graham said he spoke to Trump about the situation. He confirmed that he had 'never heard him so angry in my life,' in his X post.

'The repercussions of providing little assistance to keep the Strait of Hormuz functioning are going to be wide and deep for Europe and America,' he warned.