"NATO allies benefit far more from reopening of Strait of Hormuz than US," says US White House Press Secretary

Donald Trump. Pic/AFP

US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that NATO allies stand to benefit far more than the United States from the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that President Donald Trump expects European partners to "do more."

Leavitt said the US has sufficient domestic oil resources due to Trump's energy policies.

"NATO allies benefit far more from the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz than the United States does. As you know, thanks to this president's energy agenda, we are a net exporter of oil. We have enough resources here at home for our people, and that's a good thing," she said.

"The Strait's opening is obviously good for America because it will stabilise the global oil industry and bring prices down. But it greatly benefits Europe and our NATO allies, and the president wants to see them do more," she added.

Leavitt also argued that NATO has, at times, been "unfair" to the US.

"One of the president's guiding principles is fairness. He has long called out NATO for being what he believes is sometimes an unfair alliance for the American taxpayer and military. The billions of dollars we spend housing US troops in NATO countries benefit them by serving as a deterrent against adversaries," she said.

She added that Trump has pushed for fairer trade arrangements with allies.

"If you look at our trade deals with many NATO allies, the president and his team have worked to rectify them, including new agreements with the UK and the EU. The president wants all alliances to be fair for the American people and taxpayers," she said.

Meanwhile, Leavitt said that more than 120 Iranian naval vessels had been destroyed in recent strikes, citing US Central Command (CENTCOM).

"More than 120 naval vessels are at the bottom of the sea because of US armed forces. That's a great thing for the American people and our allies in the region. Ensuring that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon has long been a priority," she said, adding that "no options are off the table."

"We are ensuring that Iran can no longer threaten the United States, and the US military is doing a tremendous job in achieving these objectives," she added.

Separately, President Donald Trump criticised NATO allies for what he described as their reluctance to support the US in its ongoing conflict with Iran, calling their stance a "very foolish mistake."

Speaking during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin at the White House, Trump said NATO members supported US actions in principle but failed to provide tangible assistance.

"We don't need too much help - in fact, we don't need any help. But all of our NATO allies were very much in favour of what we did. They thought it was very important to take out the nuclear threat from Iran, and we've done that very strongly and powerfully," Trump said.

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