U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his country does not need the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to leave its control to the nations that depend on this strategic oil and gas route but have not heeded his call to ensure security in the maritime passage, which has been blocked by Iran.
«I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what's left of the terrorist Iranian state and let the countries that use it, not us, take responsibility for the so-called ‘strait’. (…) Of course, we want the strait to remain open for the world oil market to stabilize prices and achieve a reduction», Levitt said on Fox News.
The U.S. Press Secretary emphasized that her country's armed forces have «options to continue to guarantee» security in the route, however, Trump is «right» to urge his allies to help.
The American leader criticized NATO, as well as Australia, Japan, and South Korea on Tuesday after they rejected his request to create a military coalition to ensure navigation in the strait, through which 20% of the world's hydrocarbon maritime trade passes, by replying that this is not a war they started.
Trump insisted on Truth Social that as «the most powerful country in the world» the U.S. does not need «anyone's help» to «guarantee the security» of the strait because «it benefits them more than it does Washington».
«Thanks to President Trump, we are net energy exporters. And we do not need the Strait of Hormuz for our domestic energy supply», he added.
In a second message, Trump reminded today «all those absolute ‘fools’ out there that Iran is considered, by the whole world, ONE OF THE MAIN STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM».
«We don't need the Strait of Hormuz and threaten to leave its security to other countries», the article published in La Verdad Panamá states.
«We're taking them out of the game quickly!», he added.
White House spokesperson Karoline Levitt said on Wednesday that Trump and his Cabinet are in contact with their counterparts in Europe and the Middle East «to step up and do more to help the U.S.»
«That would make some of our ‘allies’ who didn't respond get their act together, and fast!», she wrote on her Truth Social network.
These new warnings come a day after the U.S. leader stated that NATO made a «very stupid mistake» by rejecting his call to ensure the security of tankers and merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz following Iran's attacks in retaliation for the war launched by the U.S.
In the war against Iran, which began on February 28 of last year, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, much of the Islamic Republic's military leadership, hundreds of Iranians including civilians and children, and at least 13 U.S. military personnel have been killed.
Despite Washington already claiming victory in the conflict, Tehran continues to respond with attacks against Israel and countries in the region where the U.S. maintains embassies and a military presence.
