Trump blasts NATO as 'paper tiger' over Hormuz
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- Trump labeled NATO "a paper tiger" and "cowards" in a TruthSocial post on Friday, blasting Europe for refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and Israel continue striking Iran.
- Trump argued the fight against a "Nuclear Powered Iran" is "Militarily WON" with minimal risk to allies, and accused them of complaining about oil prices while refusing to help reopen the strait — a "simple military maneuver" he said causes those prices.
- Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands jointly stated their "readiness to contribute" to efforts ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz just one day earlier, though the letter offered no specifics on what form that contribution would take.
- The Strait of Hormuz typically carries roughly 20% of the world's daily oil supply, and the six-nation letter expressed "deep concern" about Iranian strikes' impact on global energy flows.
- Five of the six signatories (U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands) are NATO members, directly undercutting Trump's claim that the alliance is absent from the effort.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday he was "confident" allies would find a way forward to reopen Strait of Hormuz traffic, signaling institutional openness despite Trump's public broadside.
- Trump has repeatedly pressed European allies to join the military action and has stopped short of declaring outright victory, even while insisting Iran's military is "decidely hobbled."
Why it matters: The Hormuz corridor moves roughly 20% of global oil daily, so any sustained allied refusal to secure it ties directly to consumer fuel prices — the very grievance Trump cited. Five NATO members had already publicly pledged readiness to contribute, making Trump's "paper tiger" attack a public escalation that pressures allies to convert words into military commitments while the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran grinds on.
