WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, President Trump criticized the United Kingdom and France, urging them to take action in the Iran conflict by suggesting the British should seize control of the Strait of Hormuz to address their oil shortages.
Through a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump expressed frustration with these American allies, labeling them as “VERY UNHELPFUL” for opting out of involvement in Iran’s downfall, despite their complaints about the impact of the strait’s bottleneck on their oil supplies.
“To all those nations struggling to secure jet fuel due to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, like the UK, who chose not to participate in Iran’s downfall, here’s my advice: First, purchase from the U.S. — we have ample supplies. Second, muster some delayed courage, head to the Strait, and TAKE IT,” the president suggested.
He continued, “You’ll need to start defending yourselves; the U.S. won’t always be there to assist you, just as you weren’t there for us. Iran is essentially decimated. The challenging part is over. Go secure your own oil!”
Additionally, the president accused France of preventing flights loaded with military supplies bound for Israel from crossing its airspace.
These remarks follow Trump’s ultimatum to Tehran, which set an April 6 deadline for Iran to return to negotiations or face the complete destruction of its energy infrastructure, including power plants and oil wells, through a bombing campaign.
He threatened that the US would take Kharg Island, a central hub in Iran’s oil exports out of the Persian Gulf, if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened.
Roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes out of the strait and its closure has caused prices to spike as much as 50% in recent weeks.
