Trump calls Nato ‘cowards’ over lack of support in Iran war, sends more troops to Mideast

President Donald Trump assailed Nato allies on Friday over their lack of support for the US-Israel war against Iran, calling the long-time US allies “cowards”. “Without the U.S.A., Nato IS A PAPER TIGER!” Trump said in a social media post. Trump has been calling for major US allies and others, none of whom were consulted or advised on the war, to help secure the safety of shipping through the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has roiled global markets, killed thousands and displaced millions since US-Israel strikes began on February 28. The US president said Nato countries did not want to join the fight against Iran yet still complained about high oil prices. “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 manoeuvre that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk,” he wrote. “COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” Germany, Britain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada pledged in a joint statement on Thursday to join “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait”. But German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made clear that this presupposed an end to combat. French President Emmanuel Macron said after a European Union summit in Brussels that defending international law and promoting de-escalation was “the best we can do”, adding: “I have not heard anyone here express a willingness to enter this conflict – quite the opposite.” Meanwhile, the US military is deploying thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East, three American officials said on Friday. No decision had been made to send troops into Iran itself, two of the officials said, but they will build up the capacity for potential future operations in the region. The deployments of the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, along with its Marine Expeditionary Unit and accompanying warships, come after Trump told reporters on Thursday that he was not putting troops “anywhere”, but that if he were to do so, he would not tell journalists. One of the officials said the troops were departing the West Coast of the United States about three weeks ahead of schedule. The expeditionary unit has about 2,500 Marines. The White House referred questions to the Pentagon, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The additional deployments will add to the 50,000 US troops already in the Middle East and would bring two Marine Expeditionary Units to the region. The first MEU, which was dispatched from the Indo-Pacific, is expected to arrive in the Middle East next week. The units can be used for a number of reasons, including carrying out strikes using the aircraft on board the ships, or being deployed on land. Sources had previously said the US military was preparing for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, which began on February 28. Those options include securing the Strait of Hormuz, potentially by deploying US forces to Iran’s shoreline. The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports. Any use of US ground troops – even for a limited mission – could pose significant political risks for Trump, given low support among the American public for the Iran campaign and Trump’s own pre-election promises to avoid entangling the US in new Middle East conflicts. On Friday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei praised Iranians’ steadfastness in the face of war in a written statement read on Iranian television to mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz. Khamenei said the US and Israeli attacks were based on an illusion that killing Iran’s top leaders could cause the overthrow of the government. He commended Iranians for “building a nationwide defensive front” and “delivering such a bewildering blow that the enemy fell into contradictions and irrational statements.” Khamenei has not been seen in public since he became supreme leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Israeli strikes at the start of the war. US and Israeli officials suspect the younger Khamenei was wounded. Iran’s top military spokesman, General Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned on Friday that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide would not be safe for Tehran’s enemies. The threat renewed concerns that Iran may revert to using militant attacks beyond the Middle East as a pressure tactic. Additional reporting by Associated Press

Trump calls Nato ‘cowards’ over lack of support in Iran war, sends more troops to Mideast

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Iran is threatening tourist sites worldwide, renewing fears that Tehran could resort to militant attacks beyond the Middle East

Iran is threatening tourist sites worldwide, renewing fears that Tehran could resort to militant attacks beyond the Middle East