President Donald Trump, who has referred to as on different nations to assist defend the Strait of Hormuz, instructed reporters on Monday that “quite a few international locations have instructed me they’re on the best way.”
“Some are very smitten by it and a few aren’t, some are international locations we’ve helped for a lot of, a few years,” Trump stated.
President Donald Trump speaks throughout a lunch with the Kennedy Heart board members within the East Room of the White Home in Washington, March 16, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The president didn’t title international locations that he says don’t wish to be concerned, however he stated, “We’re defending you and you do not wish to become involved in one thing that could be very minor. Only a few pictures are going to be taken as a result of they do not have many pictures left. However they stated we would slightly to not become involved.”
The president went on to name Iran a “paper tiger.”
“I might wish to say their names,” he stated of the international locations, “however frankly, I do not know if they’d need me to or not, as a result of, possibly they do not wish to be focused, however I say would not matter in case you focused or not, as a result of it is a paper tiger that we’re coping with now.”
Later within the press convention, Trump stated he doesn’t need assistance from different international locations.
Requested if he was assured that France would assist with the re-opening of the Strait, Trump stated, “Yeah. I imply, positive, he will,” referring to French President Emmanuel Macron.
“I feel he will assist. I imply, I am going to let . I spoke to him yesterday. I do not do a tough promote on them as a result of my perspective is, ‘We do not want anyone,” Trump stated.
“We are the strongest nation on this planet. Now we have the strongest army by far on this planet. We do not want them,” Trump stated. “Nevertheless it’s attention-grabbing. I am virtually doing it in some instances, not as a result of we want them, however as a result of I wish to learn how they react. As a result of I have been saying for years that if we ever did want them, they will not be there. Not all of them, however they will not be there.”
