Donald Trump lamented that allied countries refused to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help escort merchant vessels, stating these nations lack loyalty to the United States despite having received continuous support.
On 16 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Donald Trump, U.S. President, expressed disappointment with allied countries that declined requests to send warships to help escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, saying these nations lacked loyalty to the U.S. despite receiving decades of security assistance.
Trump claimed, “Several countries told me they are on their way,” without naming any specific countries.
“Some countries were very eager, but others were not. Some of them are nations we have assisted for many years. We have protected them from serious external threats, but they are not very enthusiastic. This level of enthusiasm means a lot to me,” Trump said at a White House event.
Previously, Trump tried to persuade multiple countries to help secure maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran attacked vessels passing through this waterway in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes against them. However, until now, U.S. allies have shown mixed responses or outright refusals to the requests.
“We have 45,000 excellent troops stationed in certain countries to protect them from danger, and we have done very well,” Trump said. “But when we ask, ‘Do you have mine-sweeping ships?’ the answer is, ‘Uh... we'd rather not get involved, sir.’”
Trump explained that the naval mission he requested was a “very small matter,” even though Iran continues to fire missiles at oil tankers. He also claimed he already knew the allies would not come to the U.S.'s aid.
“I have long criticized the idea of protecting other countries because I know we will protect them. But whenever we need help, they won’t be there for us. I've known this for a long time,” Trump concluded.
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Source:cnn