Photo : YONHAP News / UPI
U.S. President Donald Trump slammed North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) members that turned down his request for military support in the Strait of Hormuz, saying they were making a “foolish mistake.”
During a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said all of the NATO allies were very much in favor of the Middle East war but that they didn’t want to help.
The president said he he wondered whether NATO would ever be there for the U.S. and that the request was “a great test,” adding though the U.S. does not need its members help, “they should have been there.”
In an earlier message posted on Truth Social, Trump said that because of the “military success” of the Iran war, the U.S. no longer needs or desires assistance from NATO, Japan, Australia or South Korea.
On Monday, Trump called on South Korea and other nations to deploy warships to help escort tankers through the strait, which Iran has effectively shut down.
The South Korean government said it would decide how to respond after consulting with Washington and conducting a careful review.