Key Points
- Major powers refuse to join US-Israeli mission without a prior truce.
- Germany and Italy rule out intervention before Middle East war ends.
- Allies were not consulted before US-Israeli strikes on Iran began.
- Iranian blockade traps one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.
- Washington remains diplomatically isolated as maritime trade remains at a standstill.
ISLAMABAD: Global energy markets remained on edge Friday after US President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on NATO allies, labelling them “cowards” for their perceived failure to support a US-Israeli military mission to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The outburst, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform, highlights a widening schism in the Western alliance. Despite conflict in the Gulf that has paralysed the world’s most vital maritime chokepoint, the majority of countries Trump petitioned for help have flatly refused to join the US-led mission.
‘Paper Tiger’
The 79-year-old Republican leader, a frequent critic of the Western alliance, did not mince words regarding the reluctance of European partners to join the fray.
“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!” Trump posted. “They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON… they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz.”
Trump characterised the naval operation as a “simple military maneuver” with “little risk,” concluding his tirade with a blunt warning: “COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”
A region in flames
The diplomatic friction follows the eruption of hostilities on February 28, when a joint US-Israeli air campaign against Iranian targets triggered a massive retaliatory response from Tehran. The resulting Iranian blockade of the Strait has trapped a fifth of the world’s global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.
While major powers including Britain, France, Germany, and Japan stated on Thursday they were ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts,” they stopped short of a formal military commitment. Berlin and Rome have explicitly ruled out military intervention until a broader Middle East truce is reached — a stance that clearly triggered Trump’s latest diatribe.
