Trump Unhappy with UK, France on Hormuz Coalition
US President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with French President Emmanuel Macron’s position on refraining from joining the coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. During a lunch with the Trump Kennedy Center Board Members, Trump stated that the US military is the “strongest in the world, and do not need anyone.” He stated, “I have spoken to him.” On a scale of 0 to 10, he has consistently performed at an eight. It may not be flawless, yet it is France… I believe he will provide assistance. I had a conversation with him yesterday. I refrain from employing a hard sell approach, as my perspective is that we are not in need of anyone. We are the most powerful nation globally. “We have the strongest military by far in the world.” French President Emmanuel Macron earlier engaged in dialogue with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, urging him to cease attacks by Iran against other nations in the West Asia region, whether conducted directly or via proxies.I have just spoken with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian. I urged him to promptly cease the intolerable assaults that Iran is conducting against nations in the region, whether directly or via proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq. “I reminded him that France is acting within a strictly defensive framework aimed at protecting its interests, its regional partners, and freedom of navigation, and that it is unacceptable for our country to be targeted,” Macron posted on X.
Trump expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that he is “not happy with the UK,” and added, “I think they’ll be involved, maybe, but they should be involved enthusiastically.” We have been safeguarding these nations for years through NATO, as NATO represents us. You may inquire with Putin. Putin is afraid of us. He possesses no fear of Europe whatsoever. “He fears the United States of America and the military that I built during my first term…” Regarding US Operations in Iran, Trump stated, “We have it (Strait of Hormuz) in very good shape.” We have addressed the situation with Iran; however, the reality is that a single terrorist can launch a missile, especially given the close range in that confined area. This proximity is one of the reasons they have historically utilized such tactics. Iran has consistently employed that as an economic weapon, and its effectiveness is unlikely to last much longer. Many nations have informed me that they are en route. Some express considerable enthusiasm for it, while others are nations that we have supported for many, many years. Trump also stated that they have destroyed Kharg Island.
He stated, “We attacked Kharg Island and knocked it.” We obliterated all that existed on the island, with the sole exception of the region containing the oil. We departed from the pipes. We didn’t want to do that, but we will do that… However, for the purpose of potentially rebuilding that country, I suppose we did the right thing… We are actively dismantling Iran’s defense industrial base, and its capacity to restore its missiles and drone capability is nearing zero. We are significantly diminishing their ability to pose a threat to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, having destroyed over 30 mine-laying ships… All 30 of their ships have been targeted and destroyed. “They’re all at the bottom of the sea.” Trump also stated that they have successfully hit over 7,000 targets to date in Iran. He stated, “Since the beginning of the conflict, we’ve struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran, and these have been mostly commercial and military targets.” We have accomplished a 90 percent decrease in their ballistic missile launches and a 95 percent decrease in drone attacks. We have also targeted the manufacturing plants, the locations where they produce the missiles and drones, and that operation is ongoing today. We have successfully achieved three of them today. Over the past week and a half, more than 100 Iranian naval vessels have been sunk or destroyed. Ongoing strikes are being launched from all directions every single hour. He further stated, “Our powerful military campaign to end the threats posed by the Iranian regime continued in full force over the past few days.” They have been literally obliterated. The Air Force has departed.
The Navy has departed. Numerous vessels have met their demise beneath the waves. They are warfighting vessels, the anti-aircraft capabilities have been decimated, their radar systems are nonfunctional, and their leadership has been eliminated. Aside from that, they are performing admirably. “They’ve been a terror for 47 years, and now, the world, through the United States, with the help of Israel, is doing what should have been done many years ago.” Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt engaged in a brief exchange with journalists in the driveway. In response to inquiries regarding President Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this month, Leavitt remarked, “it is a leader-to-leader conversation at this point.” The president expresses anticipation for a visit to China. The dates may be adjusted. As commander in chief, his foremost priority at this moment is to guarantee the ongoing success of this operation, Epic Fury. We will provide you with updates on the dates shortly. Leavitt stated that Trump “wished the UK had stepped up sooner and quicker” concerning his request for England to assist in opening the Strait of Hormuz. However, he persists in engaging with our European allies and is urging them for support, similar to his previous calls for increased defense spending within NATO. “He’s calling them to do more here,” she added. The press secretary redirected a question regarding the deployment of US Marines to the Pentagon.
