US President Donald Trump said Washington would consider a ceasefire with Iran only if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, as tensions remain high in the fifth week of the conflict.
Trump’s remarks came after Iran’s newly installed president signalled interest in halting hostilities.
“Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!! President DJTTrump.”
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit point for global energy supplies, handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil flows. Its closure has been central to the escalation, rattling global markets and driving volatility in crude prices.
Separately, Trump also raised the prospect of a major shift in US foreign policy, saying he is “beyond reconsideration” on potentially withdrawing the United States from NATO after allies declined to back military action against Iran.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump described the alliance as a “paper tiger” and criticised member nations for refusing to deploy warships to help reopen the strategic waterway.
“Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way,” Trump said.
“Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey’, you know, I didn’t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic. We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us,” he added.
