President Trump lashed out again at European allies on Tuesday for their refusal to get more involved in the Iran War. He accused France of denying permission to American warplanes to fly over its territory and challenged Britain to “go get your own oil” by forcibly reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
France did not respond to Mr. Trump’s claim, made on his Truth Social account. A French military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, denied that France had closed its airspace to American planes.
The president’s two posts came after Spain, which has been the most vocal European opponent of the war, said it had denied permission to U.S. military planes to fly over its territory before striking Iran.
There were reports in the Italian media that Italy, too, had restricted the use of a base in Sicily by American planes. But the Italian government played down those reports, saying that it considered American requests on a case-by-case basis, and denied tensions with Washington over the use of bases.
Britain and France have refused to take part in offensive military operations, citing the fact that Mr. Trump did not consult them before launching the joint operation with Israel. Britain has allowed American bombers to use bases in its territory, though it has insisted that they be used only for defensive missions like striking Iranian military sites involved in attacks on British interests.
Britain and France are coordinating an effort to assemble a coalition of up to 35 countries that would help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade route that lines Iran’s southern coast, after the conflict has scaled down. That effort could include deploying frigates to escort oil tankers through the narrow waterway. Some could be mounted with antiaircraft batteries to shoot down Iranian drones or missiles.
In his posts, Mr. Trump repeated his claim that the United States and Israel had “decimated” Iran, leaving European countries with little to do, aside from reopening the strait, which he said was in their own economic interest. He also repeated a threat that the United States would no longer defend its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“You’ll have to learn how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” Mr. Trump said. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”
While Mr. Trump has regularly bashed Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain — “He’s no Winston Churchill,” the president said — his targeting of France is new. After a recent phone call with President Emmanuel Macron, Mr. Trump said, “On a scale of 0 to 10, I’d say he’s been an 8. Not perfect, but it’s France. We don’t expect perfect.”
On Tuesday, however, the president had soured. “France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated,” he posted. “The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!”
Mark Landler is the Paris bureau chief of The Times, covering France, as well as American foreign policy in Europe and the Middle East. He has been a journalist for more than three decades.
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