Trump: Iran just issued a "request"! Strait of Hormuz navigation, latest news

Trump’s latest statement sparks European defense stocks.

1 April, European defense sector surges across the board. According to reports from the UK on April 1, U.S. President Trump stated he is “seriously considering” withdrawing the U.S. from NATO. Additionally, U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagelstess said at a Pentagon briefing: “NATO should learn to protect itself.”

Some analysts point out that as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, disagreements between the U.S. and European allies over military support in the Middle East and the security of the Strait of Hormuz are rapidly becoming public. Trump ally and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham previously revealed that during a recent conversation, he “had never seen Trump so angry,” the reason being European allies’ reluctance to invest more resources to keep the Strait of Hormuz operational.

According to CCTV International News, Trump posted on social media on April 1, claiming, “The new Iranian regime’s president is much more rational than his predecessors and not so extreme, and has just requested a ceasefire from the U.S.! We will consider only when the Strait of Hormuz reopens and is unobstructed. Until then, we will blow Iran to ruins, or as they say, blow them back to the Stone Age.” Trump did not specify who exactly this so-called “Iranian new regime’s president” is. Iran has yet to respond.

Meanwhile, according to Xinhua News Agency, UK Prime Minister Stamer stated on April 1 that UK Foreign Secretary Cooper will host an international conference this week on the Strait of Hormuz to discuss plans to restore navigation through the strait. Stamer said at a press conference that the UK is exploring “all diplomatic avenues” to promote the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He added that the best way to address rising living costs is to de-escalate the situation and ensure the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

European defense stocks surge across the board

On April 1, after the European stock markets opened, the defense sector surged across the board, with Germany’s Rheinmetall rising over 9%, France’s Thales Group up over 5%, and UK’s BAE Systems up over 3%.

In terms of news, Xinhua News Agency cited an exclusive interview with U.S. President Trump published on April 1 in the UK’s Daily Telegraph, stating that Trump is “seriously considering” withdrawing the U.S. from NATO.

When asked whether he would consider pulling the U.S. out of NATO, Trump replied: “Oh yes, I think that’s no longer something to consider. I’ve never been swayed by NATO. I’ve always known they’re paper tigers, by the way, Russian President Putin knows this too.”

In response, UK Prime Minister Stamer said on April 1: “No matter how much pressure I and others face, no matter how much noise from outside, my decisions will always prioritize the national interest of the UK. That’s why I’ve been clear that this (Iran war) is not our war, and we will not be drawn into it.”

Earlier that day, Trump posted two messages on social media expressing dissatisfaction with the UK and France’s performance in military actions against Iran.

On March 31, Trump wrote on social media that France does not allow military cargo planes bound for Israel to fly over its territory, “France has been extremely uncooperative in military actions against Iran, and the U.S. will remember that!”

According to CCTV International News, in an interview broadcast on Qatar’s Al Jazeera on March 30, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken criticized NATO countries for not assisting in U.S. military actions against Iran, saying “NATO’s performance is very disappointing.”

Blinken said the U.S. provides protection for NATO countries, but when the U.S. needs them, NATO countries refuse to allow the U.S. to use their bases, which is unfair to the U.S. and makes continued involvement difficult. The U.S. needs to reassess its relationship with NATO.

Blinken also emphasized that including NATO allies, everyone understands that without the U.S., there is no NATO. If someday the U.S. decides to withdraw troops from Europe, NATO will cease to exist.

Latest statements from the U.S. Secretary of Defense

According to Xinhua News Agency, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at a press conference on March 31 that, considering some allies’ refusal to assist, Trump will decide on NATO’s future after the end of military operations against Iran.

Austin said at a Pentagon briefing: “NATO should learn to protect itself.”

He stated that Iran’s missiles “cannot reach U.S. mainland,” but can target some NATO countries. However, the world has seen that when the U.S. conducts large-scale operations against Iran, NATO allies even refuse to grant simple passage rights.

Austin also said that when the U.S. needs these allies, they are unwilling to stand with the U.S., making the alliance nominal.

Polish media reported on March 31 that the U.S. has requested NATO ally Poland to deploy a Patriot missile defense system in the Middle East to replenish its increasingly depleted ammunition stockpile to counter Iran’s retaliation.

The Polish “Rzeczpospolita” cited sources saying the Patriot system is used to protect Polish airspace and NATO’s eastern flank, not to be moved elsewhere.

According to RIA Novosti, Poland has two Patriot missile systems with about 600 interceptors.

As Middle Eastern conflicts drag on, U.S. offensive missile usage has created shortages, and defensive ammunition is also running low. Currently, the U.S. military’s THAAD, Patriot, and Standard-6 interceptors are all in short supply due to rapid consumption and insufficient replenishment.

Data shows that within 36 hours of the outbreak of hostilities, the U.S. military used over 300 Patriot interceptors; Gulf countries used 280, and a large number of missiles were launched. Replenishing these supplies could take years.

Earlier reports indicated that the U.S. has moved some of its THAAD systems deployed in South Korea to the Middle East and has also withdrawn Patriot interceptors from other regions.

Source: Securities Times

Disclaimer: All information from Data Treasure does not constitute investment advice. The stock market involves risks; invest cautiously.

Editor: Zhou Sha