ALBAWABA- US President Donald Trump on Monday sharply criticized allies that host American forces but have declined to join the ongoing war against Iran, arguing that countries benefiting from US military protection should help secure regional waterways and support the campaign.
Speaking at the start of a board meeting at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Trump said the joint US-Israeli operation had largely dismantled Iran’s conventional military power after more than a week of sustained strikes.
“Iran’s capabilities have been practically wiped out,” Trump said, claiming the campaign had destroyed much of Iran’s air force, navy, air-defence systems, radars, and command infrastructure. He added that more than 7,000 targets, mostly military and logistical facilities, had been struck since the conflict began.
Trump said the strikes had reduced Iranian ballistic-missile launches by about 90 percent and drone attacks by 95 percent. He also reported that three missile and drone production facilities were hit in the past 24 hours and that more than 100 Iranian naval vessels, including dozens of mine-laying boats, had been destroyed.
The president confirmed that US-Israeli forces had struck Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, though pipeline infrastructure was spared for possible reconstruction after the conflict.
The military campaign followed Iranian missile and drone attacks on US and Israeli targets and attempts to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said Tehran still retains a limited ability to launch sporadic missiles but has lost the capacity to sustain large-scale attacks.
He urged countries heavily dependent on energy supplies passing through the strait, including Japan, South Korea, and several European states, to contribute naval forces to secure the waterway, noting that the United States remains the world’s largest energy producer.
Trump also hinted at Gulf partners hosting roughly 45,000 US troops, questioning why states benefiting from American security guarantees have not joined the effort to safeguard the vital shipping route. He described Iran as “a source of terror for 47 years,” saying the current military campaign was long overdue.
On his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that NATO should not be involved in the conflict, stressing that the alliance is designed for defence rather than military intervention.
“NATO is a defensive alliance, not an intervention alliance, so there is absolutely no need for NATO here,” he said. Merz added that he had warned about the dangers since the beginning of the crisis, noting that the risks of the war are “great, very great,” and emphasizing that the conflict cannot be resolved militarily but requires a political solution.
