Trump decries NATO as 'cowards' for not acceding to his request for Strait of Hormuz security

▲ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on March 19, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

Trump-NATO

Trump decries NATO as 'cowards' for not acceding to his request for Strait of Hormuz security

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday criticized North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states for their perceived reluctance to respond to his call to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, calling them "cowards."

Trump made the remarks in a social media post, as NATO allies have appeared reluctant to accede to Trump's request for naval assistance to help reopen the crucial waterway, which has been effectively closed by the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran.

"Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn't want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk," he added.

Trump then called NATO "cowards," saying that the U.S. will "remember."

On Saturday, Trump called for South Korea, Japan, France, Britain and other countries to send ships to help secure the waterway. But days later, he said the U.S. no longer needs their naval assistance, in an apparent show of discomfort over their perceived reluctance.

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