Sources: Trump's talk about Hormuz astounds allies
Donald Trump's various statements about the Strait of Hormuz are so confusing that they have led to a stalemate with European allies, four European sources told Politico.
Trump has both raged at allies for refusing to send ships to the strait, and said that the United States does not need their help anyway. But the sources say that the United States has not sent any formal request for equipment.
- The United States has asked us to take care of and defend our own countries, take care of supporting Ukraine, and now the Middle East and global supply chains, says one source, who calls Trump's statements "absurdly incoherent".
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte caused irritation in several European countries when he praised the United States' warfare in Iran this weekend, and said that the allies support Trump's actions.
– Allies dislike being called into a war we didn’t start, without any idea what the US will do, says a NATO diplomat.
Sources: Gulf countries want to see an end to the war – but not yet
US allies in the Persian Gulf want the US to end the war, but do not want to see a hasty solution that destabilises the region, reports the Washington Post. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are lobbying for the US to end the war. At the same time, they are ready to support an escalation as long as it leads to pushing for concessions at the negotiating table and a more “humble Iran”, sources tell the newspaper.
– They are not asking Trump to immediately escalate the war, but to create the conditions for a decent interlocutor on the other side of the Gulf when the war is over, says a European official.
The fear is that a quick ceasefire now could prompt Tehran to launch attacks on neighboring countries and continue to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.
Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain reportedly agree with this stance, while Oman continues to oppose the war.
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