UK minister denies Trump threatened NATO over Hormuz
A British minister involved in defence has today denied reports that Donald Trump threatened to pull support from NATO if it did not send warships to the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days.
Yesterday, NATO chief Mark Rutte reportedly told members that Trump was pushing for concrete commitments to sending military vessels or other equipment to the Middle East.
That report came shortly after he called NATO ‘very disappointing’ and accused it of only acting when pressure was applied
Luke Pollard, the minister for defence procurement, told Times Radio: ‘That’s not an activity that we recognise.
‘We’ve been very clear that the war in Iran is not our war, but we have stepped up in support of defending our allies from the reckless Iranian attacks on, not only British and coalition bases, but also our allies in the Gulf.
‘And indeed, the secretary general of Nato, Mark Rutte, said yesterday that he praised the work of Keir Starmer and the UK in bringing together allies in support of opening the Strait of Hormuz to allow the flow of energy and ships through that important shipping channel.’
