Trump Tells NATO: Europe First to Escort in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Will Follow

Trump is playing a clever game: the U.S. military dares not rush into the Strait of Hormuz, so he's pushing allies to go first.

On the 9th, Reuters reported that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has informed several European countries that Trump hopes NATO allies will make concrete commitments "on ensuring the safety of the Strait of Hormuz" in the coming days.

In short, Trump is once again demanding that NATO conduct escort missions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Naturally, it's highly unlikely that NATO will actually agree to this request—no matter how much pressure or even threats Trump exerts, including potentially withdrawing from NATO, European nations are unlikely to fall for it. The reason is obvious: the U.S. military itself hesitates to send fleets deep into the Strait of Hormuz for escort missions, and the naval capabilities and combat resolve of NATO’s European allies are far inferior to those of the United States—so why would they risk their lives by going there?

Indeed, countries like Britain, France, and Germany have led the formation of a multinational "escort coalition," but their plan is to consider launching so-called "escort operations" in the Strait of Hormuz only after the current war ends. Whether this plan is feasible or whether Iran would cooperate is another matter—but at least it shows that Europe clearly recognizes the danger posed by the current situation in the strait and is unwilling to recklessly charge into the crossfire.

It should be noted that the U.S. does have prior experience conducting escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz. In the late stages of the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980s, both sides shifted from ground combat to "tanker warfare," aggressively attacking each other’s and neutral countries’ merchant vessels in an attempt to cut off oil exports—the economic lifeline.

As a result, the U.S. intervened under the banner of "protecting Kuwaiti oil," providing escort services for shipping convoys in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. But today’s United States is no longer the dominant superpower it once was. Trump’s strategy now is largely about making allies bear the risks while he stays behind to reap the benefits.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1862053385608204/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.