NATO Chief Warns Alliance That Trump Wants ‘Concrete Commitments’ on Strait of Hormuz

The NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, is warning European member states that they need to step up to help open the Strait of Hormuz.“The Secretary General is in contact with Allies about his discussions in Washington,” NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said in an emailed statement. “It’s clear that the United States expects concrete commitments and actions to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”The warning from the secretary general comes after a meeting on Wednesday in which Mr. Trump lashed out against NATO. The president posted on his Truth Social account on Thursday that NATO has been “disappointing” in its response to America’s request for backing in the war against Iran.Mr. Rutte told diplomats that Mr. Trump is looking for a framework from allies within days to secure the vital waterway, Reuters reported, citing three unnamed sources.Mr. Trump has threatened to pull out of NATO, claiming European members do not come to America’s aid when needed. Mr. Rutte says some allies were slow to offer assistance but says they were caught off guard because they were not notified before the joint American-Israeli attacks started.Mr. Rutte says some NATO countries are now providing help in the fight. He adds that obituaries about the alliance are premature but acknowledges the dynamic is changing.“Allies recognize, and I recognize, we are in a period of profound change in the trans-Atlantic alliance,” Mr. Rutte said in an address at the Reagan Institute’s Center For Peace on Thursday. “Europe is assuming a greater and fairer share of the task of providing for its conventional defense.”“There will be no going back and nor should there be,” Mr. Rutte added. “This is a move from unhealthy codependence to a transatlantic alliance grounded in true partnership.”Mr. Trump has paused attacks on Iran under a two-week ceasefire but Iran has not reopened the strait. Only three ships are known to have moved through it since the ceasefire was announced.The British foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said last week that about 40 countries are working on a framework to open the strait. France and Germany were among countries that held a virtual meeting to discuss a plan, details of which have not been made public.“We are willing to make the right noises and even the right actions down the line. But ultimately the problem is not to please the U.S. but to have the right conditions in place,” one of the diplomats told Reuters.Russia and Venezuela are joining with Iran to make up some of the lost global oil supply that is trapped on hundreds of tankers idling in the Persian Gulf. Oil analytics firm Vortexa said on Thursday that so-called “high-risk” crude — oil coming from sanctioned countries — now accounts for 17 percent of global exports.Oil prices have dropped from their highs since the fighting started six weeks ago but remain significantly elevated from the start of the year. Gasoline prices in America have also risen sharply since the start of the war.

NATO Chief Warns Alliance That Trump Wants ‘Concrete Commitments’ on Strait of Hormuz

NATO Chief Warns Alliance That Trump Wants ‘Concrete Commitments’ on Strait of Hormuz

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