Trump Blasts Allies Who Won’t Help Reopen Key Oil Route Amid Iran-Israel War

President Trump expressed frustration with Western allies who declined to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic waterway remains largely blocked by Iran as the three-week conflict with Israel continues to escalate across the Middle East.

President Donald Trump voiced his displeasure with several Western nations after they declined his request to deploy naval vessels for escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, while the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel enters its third week.

The vital shipping corridor, which handles approximately 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, remains effectively blocked due to Iranian drone operations and naval mines. This closure has contributed to rising energy costs and growing concerns about inflation worldwide.

Several key U.S. allies, including Germany, Spain, and Italy, have stated they have no immediate intentions to deploy ships to help restore access to the crucial waterway.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz explained his country’s position during remarks in Berlin, stating: “We lack the mandate from the United Nations, the European Union or NATO required under the Basic Law.” He also noted that Germany was not consulted before Washington and Israel initiated military action.

During a White House gathering in Washington, Trump acknowledged that while many nations expressed willingness to assist, he remained disappointed with certain longtime allies.

“Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t,” Trump remarked, declining to name specific countries. “Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me.”

CONTINUED MILITARY OPERATIONS ACROSS THE REGION

Military strikes from both nations showed no signs of decreasing early Tuesday, with Israeli forces announcing they were hitting “Iranian regime infrastructure” throughout Tehran, along with Hezbollah positions in Beirut. This came one day after Israel announced detailed military plans extending at least three additional weeks.

Iran conducted overnight strikes against Israel, demonstrating that more than two weeks into the conflict, Tehran maintains its ability to execute long-distance attacks. Iranian forces also struck the United Arab Emirates, forcing temporary airspace closures and hitting an oil facility in Fujairah, a crucial Emirati oil export hub, for the second straight day.

Monday saw Dubai International Airport, normally among the world’s busiest, shut down for several hours. Oil loading activities in Fujairah were suspended, and operations at Abu Dhabi’s Shah gas field were halted following drone attacks.

Iran has claimed that weekend U.S. strikes on military installations at Kharg Island, a critical oil export hub, originated from UAE territory. Tehran has warned it will attack oil and gas infrastructure in any nation used as a launching point for U.S. operations against the island.

Iranian officials have also threatened to target American industrial facilities throughout the Middle East and advised residents near U.S.-owned facilities to evacuate.

Early Tuesday, rockets and at least five drones struck the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, according to Iraqi security officials, who described it as the most severe attack since hostilities began. Two American officials reported no casualties thus far.

‘WE WERE SHOCKED’

Trump revealed Monday that Iran’s retaliatory attacks against neighboring countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait caught his administration off guard.

“They (Iran) weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,” he explained. “Nobody expected that. We were shocked.”

Despite this claim, intelligence sources indicate Trump received warnings that striking Iran could provoke retaliation against U.S. Gulf partners, according to one U.S. official and two sources with knowledge of intelligence briefings.

Oil markets climbed more than 2% during early Tuesday trading, recovering some of Monday’s losses due to supply concerns, while Asian stock markets also rebounded following Monday’s decline.

The conflict has resulted in at least 2,000 deaths across the Middle East since U.S. and Israeli forces attacked Iran on February 28, including at least 200 Iranian children, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

At an Iranian burial ground Monday, Marzia Rezaei mourned her son Erfan Shamei, who perished in an explosion at a military training facility just days before his scheduled leave.

“Just an hour before he was martyred, he spoke with me and then I never saw him again. He was supposed to come today,” she said.