Early Tuesday morning, with the war dragging on, Donald Trump took to Truth Social and turned on America’s allies.
The United Kingdom came first.
Trump criticized London for refusing to back what he described as the “decapitation of Iran,” then told countries struggling with oil shortages to handle it themselves. Buy from the U.S., he said. Or go to the Strait of Hormuz and “TAKE IT.”
He doubled down with a warning.
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“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself,” he wrote. “The U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore.”
France was next. Trump accused Paris of being “VERY UNHELPFUL” after it blocked U.S. military flights from crossing its airspace on the way to Israel. He added that the U.S. would “REMEMBER.” The post also referenced Iran’s “Butcher,” a nickname tied to Ebrahim Raisi, who died in 2024.
By the time the posts went live, allies had already made their positions clear.
Italy blocked U.S. bombers from landing at Sigonella, its key NATO base in Sicily, after Washington failed to seek proper permission or consult Italian military leadership.
Spain went further, blocking U.S. access to jointly operated bases for Iran-related operations and closing its airspace to warplanes involved in the strikes. Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles said Madrid would not authorize the use of its bases or airspace for the conflict.
“This was made perfectly clear to the American military and forces from the very beginning,” she told reporters. “Neither the bases are authorised, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorised for any actions related to the war in Iran.” She described the war as “profoundly illegal and unjust.”
After Spain’s refusal, Iran’s embassy in Madrid signaled openness to cooperation with Spain in the Strait of Hormuz, citing its respect for international law. Tehran is now drawing lines between NATO members it sees as hostile and those it can work with. Publicly.
Former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves pushed back on Trump’s demands. “It’s a bit rich – after you’ve been threatening Denmark and insulting the memory of around 1,000 NATO troops who fought in Afghanistan – to say, ‘Oh, you all have to come and help us now,’” he told NBC News. “It’s a political nonstarter from the get-go. I’m not sure what he expected.”
Edward Fishman of the Council on Foreign Relations pointed out that Trump never consulted European allies before launching strikes on Iran, despite those allies being far more dependent on Gulf oil than the U.S. is. “Remember, these countries, despite being U.S. allies, have been hit with really steep tariffs by the Trump administration over the last year,” Fishman said.
So far, no country has committed to deploying forces to the strait.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
