President Donald Trump, who has known as on different nations to assist defend the Strait of Hormuz, advised reporters on Monday that “quite a few international locations have advised me they’re on the way in which.”
“Some are very passionate about it and a few aren’t, some are international locations we’ve helped for a lot of, a few years,” Trump mentioned.
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 identify international locations that he says don’t need to be concerned, however he mentioned, “We’re defending you and you do not need to get entangled in one thing that may 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 mentioned we might relatively to not get entangled.”
The president went on to name Iran a “paper tiger.”
“I would wish to say their names,” he mentioned of the international locations, “however frankly, I do not know if they might need me to or not, as a result of, possibly they do not need 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 mentioned 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 mentioned, “Yeah. I imply, certain, he’ll,” referring to French President Emmanuel Macron.
“I believe he’ll assist. I imply, I am going to let you already know. 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 mentioned.
“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 mentioned. “But it surely’s attention-grabbing. I am virtually doing it in some circumstances, not as a result of we’d like them, however as a result of I need to learn the way 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.”
