Donald Trump has told allies like the UK, “which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran”, to learn to “fight for yourself” and “go get your own oil!” in a scathing attack.
The US president said in a post on Truth Social that the US “won’t be there to help you anymore”, suggesting he may abandon the war in Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” he wrote.
The latest attack on America’s allies comes after Trump reportedly told aides that he was willing to end the US military campaign against Iran even if the vital strait remains largely closed, according to administration officials.
Trump insists the US is working on a peace deal to end the war and reopen the strait, but senior Iranian officials say his proposals are “unrealistic, illogical and excessive”.
Kind'a tricky.
The NATO thing was that if one country is attacked then all help to defend NOT (as I understand it) .. if one starts a war the rest have to join in.
One 'view' is that Iran would have become more moderate as time passes.. obviously not within Trump's (probable) final term which is perhaps why we find ourselves where we are now [s ]vanity project [/s]. Meanwhile I suspect the UK and others saw Israel 'mowing the grass' when necessary - possibly/probably with US help.
A nuclear Iran would have no motivation to moderate. Iran was actually a moderate, modern, Westernized country prior to the mullahs taking over. So as time passed, they markedly radicalized.
Whether or not NATO requires helping an ally stop a region danger... that we've found could threaten all of Europe... cooperation is a two-way street. Don't want to help with Iran? Fine, your oil exports through the Strait are your own problem. That's how cooperation, or lack thereof, works.
It seems to me that the point of an alliance is that the alliance is advantageous to each party to the alliance. In the case of Europe, it's easy to see the advantages that NATO offers them: it permits them to outsource their defense to the United States, at American expense. But in the case of the United States, it's much harder to see what advantage the US receives from NATO membership or even why we should remain in the alliance.
"If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, then that’s not a very good arrangement.
That’s a hard one to stay engaged in and say this is good for the United States."
Just eight minutes after President Trump made the post above on Truth Social, he posted this, which might provide some context:
I don't really think that President Trump should have called out the United Kingdom though. After initial wavering and indecision, which seems to be the Starmer "leadership" style, the UK reluctantly allowed the US to stage most of its air power buildup through British bases (Lakenheath, Mildenhall and Fairford). London has even allowed our strategic bombers to fly strike missions from RAF Fairford. That's better than any other ostensible NATO ally has done. (Greece has also been helpful.)
UK isn’t totally dependent on ME oil. They actually import a lot from US, Norway plus a few others. However I’m sure Saudi oil gets to UK via the Hormuz Strait. You’d think the ME oil exporters to UK that use the strait would get more pissed off than UK about current situation.
Not like oil isn’t available in other locales like Venezuela and even little ol’ Canada. Necessity being the mother of invention may spur a revolution in alternate fuels. The way oil prices are going and if they stay high for years then that might not be far away. What’s oil got left…50-60 years? Might as well move on in that direction.
Don’t hate Trump but I think he’d be better off leaving out the ‘USA will remember’ part of that message. Wasn’t a generation of Americans getting shot at and wiped out in first couple of years of WWI & II. Do people of Europe and those involved still remember?
Then again this is April Fools Day and everything you read today is BS.
Quote:Wasn’t a generation of Americans getting shot at and wiped out in first couple of years of WWI & II. Do people of Europe and those involved still remember?
My mother dated US servicemen during WWII (1939-1945 .. for some reason Americans don't seem able to remember which year the war started) .. If I'd been very unlucky I might even have been an American. That aside, I'm well aware that I would probably now be speaking German if it hadn't been for the sacrifices made by US servicemen .. so thanks guys. Realistically I may be the among the last to remember things that way.
Politics and precise memory are never going to work well together. Israel is one of Trump's pet projects, in Europe we have our own problem with Ukraine.
What is laughable is that Trump assumes that "the Allies" can just send fleets into the straight and suddenly make it safe for shipping.
The vessels being hit currently are being targetted by drones, mines, loiter torpedos, possibly inert balastics hidden in the terrain and even sabotuers that could of accessed or boarder a vessel prior to leaving point to put explosives onboard.
That woul mean that every vessel attempting to leave ports would need to be systemmatically searched for devices, and an increase in port security in those locations where oil is being picked up/delivered. Thats beyond the job of a fleet to do. Doing inspections would also put vessels in being at prone to attacks.
The best way to make that part of the world safer at this moment in time is for the US to pull out now, not two or three weeks time. The problem with that however is it will mean that the objectives that Trumps lot had will be watered down to suit the situation.
The concern is that Iran will not forget what has been done to them, Trumps actions have emboldened them in a sense and made those that were removed Martyrs from their perspective. Thats actually what they likely wanted, as it's about driving a wedge between their populous's opinions that might of undermined their regime to be more suited towards survival and further hardlining against the US (Although they'll likely still imply general anti-Western semantics)
This means the damage that Trump has done will likely be noticable for decades.
Meanwhile, Israel shaws up more turf from it's neighbours, uninpeded and Trumps bank balance rises a little more for the troubles.
(Apr 1, 2026 02:11 PM)confused2 Wrote: Israel is one of Trump's pet projects, in Europe we have our own problem with Ukraine.
Europe hasn't done much on that front either. It's looking more and more like they are completely impotent... and ripe for Putin's picking.
(Apr 1, 2026 05:25 PM)stryder Wrote: What is laughable is that Trump assumes that "the Allies" can just send fleets into the straight and suddenly make it safe for shipping.
So they can't do anything at all? @_@
Quote:The best way to make that part of the world safer at this moment in time is for the US to pull out now, not two or three weeks time. The problem with that however is it will mean that the objectives that Trumps lot had will be watered down to suit the situation.
So leave the Strait a hostage of Iran? @_@
Quote:The concern is that Iran will not forget what has been done to them, Trumps actions have emboldened them in a sense and made those that were removed Martyrs from their perspective. Thats actually what they likely wanted, as it's about driving a wedge between their populous's opinions that might of undermined their regime to be more suited towards survival and further hardlining against the US (Although they'll likely still imply general anti-Western semantics)
So that's a good reason to leave the job unfinished? @_@
(Apr 1, 2026 07:54 AM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: Don’t hate Trump but I think he’d be better off leaving out the ‘USA will remember’ part of that message. Wasn’t a generation of Americans getting shot at and wiped out in first couple of years of WWI & II. Do people of Europe and those involved still remember?
Absolutely we remember..It is often referenced.
That is not to say we attach too much blame necessarily.It is even said that dark schemes may hsve been involved to get USA involved. (even the American President was wary of the pro German sentiment at the time and had to tread carefully)
In war all can be seen (rightly) as fair.
The problem in this instance is that we have a man of very ,very bad moral character and zero intellectual rigour making policy for the most influential political entity in the planet.
What could possibly go wrong?
It seems to me that,short of natural or forced regime change(aka revolution) in Tehran it is impossible for America or Nato to open the Straits against the will of Iran (not necessarily an unjust situation)
If the UN was united maybe things would be resolved but this seems to be one of the US's goal -to further emasculate it
One silver lining is that an abject and transparent failure of policy may bring about the emasculation of this regime in America and a final appreciation that ,at the very least in their own country civility and decency are to be prized over acrimonious scapegoating of supposedly inferior and parasitical "others"
Or it may simply go further down the opposite rabbit hole...
(Apr 1, 2026 07:54 AM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: Don’t hate Trump but I think he’d be better off leaving out the ‘USA will remember’ part of that message. Wasn’t a generation of Americans getting shot at and wiped out in first couple of years of WWI & II. Do people of Europe and those involved still remember?
Absolutely we remember..It is often referenced.
That is not to say we attach too much blame necessarily. It is even said that dark schemes may have been involved to get USA involved. (even the American President was wary of the pro German sentiment at the time and had to tread carefully)
In war all can be seen (rightly) as fair.
Do you think ‘dark schemes’ were employed to entice US into attacking Iran? If so, any idea of what may have transpired to make it happen?
Mar 31, 2026 09:26 PM
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