Trump Angry at US Allies for Not Sending Ships to Strait of Hormuz

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump complained that countries that have been "protected" by the US but are reluctant to send minesweeping vessels to the Strait of Hormuz.

"Many countries have told me they are heading to the location, some are very enthusiastic, some are not. Some are countries we have helped for years," Trump said, Monday, March 17, as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik.

"We want to know, 'Do you have minesweeping vessels?' They replied, 'We prefer not to get involved.' For 40 years, we protected you, and you don't want to get involved in something that is very small," he said.

On Saturday, Trump asked China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.

France and several other countries are preparing a joint mission to ensure safe passage for tankers amid the Middle East conflict, according to a report by the Financial Times on Sunday.

Trump also admitted that he was not sure that NATO allies would defend the US, unlike the US commitment to the defense alliance.

On February 28, the US and Israel launched an attack on targets in Iran, including in Tehran, which caused damage and took the lives of civilians.

Iran retaliated by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

The escalation led to the suspension of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the main route for the shipment of oil and liquefied natural gas from Gulf countries to global markets, which impacted oil exports and production in the region.