Trump says US 'shouldn't even' be in Iran, demands Europeans help protect ships in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump has cast confusion on the U.S.'s allies as he suggested that the U.S. “shouldn’t even be there” when referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

Demanding that these countries come in

Shipping in the strait is currently severely limited in no small part due to threats of retaliation by Iran, after the U.S. and Israel began a campaign of air strikes against Iran, which among other things, killed its leader Ali Khamenei.

Since then, Iran has retaliated by striking out at its neighbours, many of which house U.S. military bases.

But Iran has also attacked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world’s energy supply flows, with the BBC saying it ordinarily carries up to 20 million barrels of oil a day.

The Guardian reported that Trump was “pleading” with European and NATO allies to enter the war against Iran, and to help the U.S. reopen the strait.

But then Trump rephrased the request in a different way, saying “Really, I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory.”

Trump then said “You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all, because we don’t need it.”

“We have a lot of oil. We’re the number one producer anywhere in the world times two.”

We don't need them

Trump has faced significant backlash since making those comments.

Many of those who are critical of the president have said that he has yet to clearly articulate the reasons for initiating the attacks, with many accusing him of starting an unnecessary war.

This included the family of one of the 13 U.S. military personnel killed since the start of the war, who said that the death of their family member was “the worst nightmare we could ever imagine”.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the statement Trump made to the press was full of contradictions, at times demanding more support from allies before turning around claiming that the U.S. did not need their help.

“We don’t need them, but it’s interesting,” the LA Times quoted Trump as saying “I am doing it, in some cases, not because we need them, but because I want to see how they react”.

Not Europe's war

European leaders acknowledged what was at stake in Iran, but also their reluctance to get involved.

The LA Times quoted the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who said that the EU did not want to be actively involved in the war, but was worried about the outcome.

“This is not Europe’s war, but Europe’s interests are directly at stake.”

The UK, who traditionally has been a staunch ally of the U.S., has also declined to get more involved, with their PM Keir Starmer saying that the country “will not be drawn into the wider war”.

Top image via Reuters & White House Gallery