Donald Trump for three days now has been chiding NATO allies, as well as China and other countries, saying they should send forces to open the Strait of Hormuz (even as he paradoxically says we don’t need their help), which Iran has basically held hostage in the wake of the U.S. attack on the country 18 days ago in a war with no endgame.
The entire world economy is rocked. Hundreds of oil tankers are stuck, while the few that have tried to move through have been attacked—17 in total—or are given the green light by Iran, which allowed a Pakistani ship to pass yesterday. Iran’s own ships are sailing through, bringing oil to China.
Iran is in total control of the strait.
Trump is making veiled threats to allies, saying it would be a “mistake” for NATO if they don’t help. Nonetheless, no one is coming to his aid.
French President Emmanuel Macron put out a firm statement: “We are not party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context.”
Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz made it clear as well: “It is not NATO’s war. NATO is an alliance to defend the alliance area. The United States did not consult us before this war, and so we believe this is not a matter for NATO or the German government.”
Most of the other allies have made similar statements or said nothing at all. Merz is, of course, right. Why on earth would leaders who weren’t consulted on the war before it began join the U.S. after it surprised the world, putting many other countries in danger? And why would any leader get behind the authoritarian Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and the more deranged-by-the-day Trump, putting their own service members in harm’s way?
It’s not a shock that Trump doesn’t understand why these countries are reticent, because he thinks he’s a genius. And of course, his having vilified them over the past year and his having even tried to take Greenland a few months ago (something he may still try to do) probably isn’t something he even thinks about in terms of creating bad blood.
Nor are the horrendous tariffs he put in place and the economic turmoil he caused in Europe and most of the rest of the world something in the front of his mind now that he wants their help. He’s a selfish, self-centered individual. Trump doesn’t get that if you treat people like s----, you’ll get the same in return.
But even for Trump, it is stunning that he thinks that these countries’ leaders could do something even if they wanted. His tariffs, his threats of land grabs, and his throwing Ukraine under the bus while bowing to Putin several times have created enormous anti-American sentiment among the voting public in those countries—even among conservative voters.
In Canada there are people walking around with t-shirts that ask, “Is he dead yet?” The anger Trump unleashed in calling Canada the 51st state and slapping tariffs on it caused the Liberal Party candidate Mark Carney to mount a stunning comeback last year and become prime minister after conservatives were earlier predicted to win in a landslide. The anger among people across Europe is also palpable over Greenland and Ukraine.
It’s quite clear that if leaders actually supported Trump’s war by sending ships to the strait they’d be engaging in political suicide. It’s jarring that Trump doesn’t at least see that. And anything he does now to retaliate—throwing more tariffs on them or pulling support for Ukraine or NATO—would only help these leaders with their electorates.
And that really underscores the most dangerous aspect of Trump’s actions in Iran. He doesn’t care what the American public thinks—he never made a case for the war to the American people—and this is the first war in modern history which the majority are against from the outset. He doesn’t even care about his own MAGA base as it fractures over the war.
Trump said at a press conference that British Prime Minister Starmer told him I need to “meet with my team” before making any decision on sending help.
“You don’t need to meet with your team. You’re the prime minister. You don’t have to meet with your team” Trump said he told Starmer.
That is the essence of a dictator. Don’t consult anyone—neither advisers nor the people. That’s how he got us into this mess, and it’s a mess that will only grow, as the those inside the White House worry and as Trump contemplates sending in ground troops.