Trump Floats Genius Strategy To Force European Allies’ Hands In Iran Conflict

President Donald Trump floated a blunt pressure tactic to force Europe to stop free-riding on America’s Iran mission, suggesting the U.S. could wrap up what’s left of Tehran’s terror state and then make the countries that actually rely on the Strait of Hormuz carry the burden of securing it.

The comments came as the U.S.-Israeli campaign kept pounding Iran under Operation Epic Fury and Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion, with Iran still lashing out across the region.

Iran’s Minister of Intelligence Esmaeil Khatib, described by a senior Israeli official as the man overseeing Iran’s global terror apparatus, was killed overnight in a precision strike, the official told Fox News.

Meanwhile, two people were killed in a missile strike on Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, according to Israeli emergency responders at the scene.

Since the start of the joint campaign on Feb. 28, Iran has launched attacks toward countries across the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as the regime tries to expand the battlefield and keep pressure on U.S. allies.

U.S. Central Command said Tuesday night that “U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz.” The strait is a vital maritime chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and a major artery for global oil shipments.

Against that backdrop, Trump turned his fire toward NATO partners who, he said, want the benefits of a secure energy route without taking the risks that come with defending it.

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday that, “I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Straight?'”

“That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!” the president added.

The president has been signaling for days that Europe needs to step up, not just applaud from the sidelines. On Sunday, Trump warned NATO to stand with the U.S. in defending the Strait of Hormuz or face consequences down the road.

“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump told The Financial Times.

“If there’s no response, or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”

Trump also sharpened his criticism in a Truth Social post Tuesday, saying the U.S. has heard from “most” NATO allies that they don’t want to get involved militarily, even though, he argued, those same countries agree with the goal of stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

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“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO ‘Allies’ that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the president said.

Trump’s line is simple: If Europe wants cheap, stable energy and safe shipping lanes, Europe can help guard the gate.

His latest “finish it off” remark reads like a negotiating club aimed at capitals that have been slow-walking military support while still depending on Hormuz-linked supply routes. It also comes as U.S. forces continue targeting Iranian coastal sites tied to the regime’s ability to threaten ships transiting the strait.

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