President Donald Trump put out a statement to European allies first thing Tuesday morning, and it was pretty blunt.
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you…” - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/aPYmL0qspa
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 31, 2026
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, 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. You’ll have to start learning 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. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil! President DJT
Now, there are a bunch of things that may be going on with that statement.
One is that it is true; it is on them, ultimately, because they have more interest than we do, although the global economy can affect us as well. But it's like the issue of NATO and how he had to force them to pay more into their own defense. He wants them to have skin in the game. While he obviously wants the issue with the Strait resolved and realizes its importance, that wasn't one of the objectives that he went into the fight with.
The second is that Trump may also be throwing a feint at Iran in terms of what he's doing. That's part of the effort to keep them off balance. They may look at that and think he's not going to drop anything on them. And he might not. He does have a host of troops in the region now. But he's keeping Iran guessing.
The Gulf states get it; they may want to check the regime even more than the U.S. because they are bearing the brunt of the attacks. They want Iran to stop so they don't have to deal with this again in the future.
But the Europeans seem to need a continuing wake-up call when they refuse to let us use bases or traverse airspace. As we reported earlier, both France and Italy reportedly denied the use of bases, as did Spain. Secretary of State Marco Rubio excoriated them, saying that if the NATO alliance was just going to benefit our allies, while they denied us, it all needed to be "re-examined."
READ MORE: Watch: Rubio Delivers Blunt Message to NATO Allies - They Need to Listen
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However, there may be an indication that they are getting the message. This came from the European Council president, António Costa, after Trump's post on Tuesday, urging Iran to stop the attacks in the Strait and ensure the freedom of navigation.
The current situation in the Middle East is extremely dangerous. Today, in my phone call with the President of Iran, @DrPezeshkian, I urged for de-escalation and restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the need for all parties to fully respect…
— António Costa (@eucopresident) March 31, 2026
To de-escalate the situation, I urged Iran to stop the unacceptable attacks on countries in the region and to engage positively on the diplomatic track, notably with the UN to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
There must be space for diplomacy. The EU stands ready to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and for a lasting solution to end the hostilities, while addressing the broader security concerns posed by Iran.
Even something as simple as that — recognizing and saying that Iran needed to stop its attacks in the Strait, and ensure safe passage for ships — was a big move, and it infuriated the people defending Iran.
That's the first step, but the EU needs to actively do more to help ensure safety in the Strait.
But it wasn't only the EU. Both China and Pakistan also weighed in after Trump's post about the Strait. While talking about peace and a ceasefire, they also said the safety of shipping needed to be ensured.
Foreign ministers of China and Pakistan have called for an immediate ceasefire in the war, urging peace talks to be held as soon as possible.
The diplomats also said the safety of waterways should be ensured and that of ships and crews stranded in the waters within the Strait of Hormuz, Xinhua news agency reported.
When you even have China saying that, that's big — an indication that Iran may have overplayed its hand and is about to be pulled back. It sounds like they're finally getting that it's a world problem, and everyone needs to make sure that Iran is checked on the Strait.
