Donald Trump turned his fire on NATO as he celebrated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, branding the alliance ‘useless.’
‘Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He said that he replied that ‘useless’ NATO should ‘stay away’ because they just ‘want to load up their ships with oil.’
Trump’s rhetoric in recent days, particularly his anger over NATO’s refusal to back his blockade of the vital oil route, has fueled speculation he could move to pull the US out of the defensive alliance.
On Friday, the Iranian regime declared the Strait ‘completely open’ following Israel’s 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon.
Iran’s foreign minister announced Friday morning on social media that ‘all commercial vessels’ are now permitted to pass through the critical oil chokepoint, marking a full reopening after nearly a month-long shutdown.
‘In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,’ wrote Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
Following the announcement, crude prices plunged 10 percent within minutes to $82 a barrel. The strait carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
The President later added that the US naval blockade of the Strait would ‘remain in full force’ until Iran reaches a deal to end the war.
‘The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 percent complete,’ Trump wrote.
‘This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated,’ he concluded.