Donald Trump called allies ‘cowards’ for not joining Iran war. Now they’re fixing it themselves and didn’t even invite him

Around 40 countries are working together to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil, without involving the United States. A British spokesperson confirmed this. Notably, no American representative was present at the meeting.

According to Reuters, the virtual summit was led by the United Kingdom and France, and included major US allies like Germany and Canada, with strategic partners such as the United Arab Emirates and India. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted the meeting from London. Cooper said the blockade was “hitting our global economic security” and criticized Iran for “hijack[ing] an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage.”

This comes after President Trump spent weeks publicly criticising allied countries for not helping defend the waterway, following the US and Israel’s attack on Iran on February 28. Now, those same allies are moving forward without Washington, effectively leaving Trump out of the process entirely.

Allied nations are stepping up on the Strait of Hormuz as Trump’s position grows increasingly contradictory

Trump has been openly angry about allies not joining the fight. On March 20, he posted on Truth Social: “Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran.”

He added, “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 maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices.” He ended the post with: “So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”

Some observers have been picking up on unusual patterns in Trump’s behaviour that may help explain these escalating outbursts. However, in a primetime address on Wednesday, Trump seemed to walk back his position, saying the Strait was not strategically important for the US. “The United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait and won’t be taking any in the future. We don’t need it. We haven’t needed it, and we don’t need it,” he said.

He then placed the responsibility on other nations: “Countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Straight must take care of that passage. They must cherish it. They must grab it and cherish it.”

French President Emmanuel Macron quickly rejected this approach as “unrealistic” during a speech in South Korea. He explained that it “would take an indefinite amount of time, and it would expose all those who venture through this Strait to coastal risks from the Revolutionary Guards, as well as ballistic missiles.” Since the conflict began, crude oil prices have risen by more than 12 percent to $112 a barrel, while Brent crude futures climbed above $109 a barrel.

Foreign policy expert Trita Parsi from the Quincy Institute warned that it would not be “as easy for Trump to just walk out” of a conflict that has already killed thousands, mostly civilians in Iran and Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion. Parsi noted the shifting timelines: “Remember, at first they said that this war would be over in four days.

Then, three weeks ago, they said it would take three weeks. Three weeks have passed, and now we hear that it’s two to three weeks.” He said the US is “no longer in control of this war,” calling it a “debacle,” and urged Trump to pursue “real negotiations” rather than “coercive measures.”

Trump also directly targeted countries “like the United Kingdom,” which have “refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran,” telling them to either buy US fuel or join the war, reports Al Jazeera. 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also criticized the UK, remarking that “last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well.” UK Defense Secretary John Healey, speaking from Qatar, insisted his country remained a key US ally.

Trump also attacked France on Truth Social for being “VERY UNHELPFUL” over not allowing military supply planes headed to Israel to fly over French territory. France’s position on this, including not authorizing the use of French bases for attacks on Iran, has reportedly been clear “since day one.” 

In a separate development, Trump has also been pushing people to download his new White House app for direct text updates, a move that has raised its own set of concerns. Military planners are expected to meet again in the UK next week, and once again, the US will not be participating, highlighting the growing gap between Washington and its allies over how to handle this crisis.