Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Mar 17: US President Donald Trump has expressed that he is “not happy” with the UK and “very surprised” by its response to the escalating situation with Iran. Speaking at a White House event, Trump said the UK initially turned down a request to send ships to the Middle East, and a later offer to deploy aircraft carriers came too late. “I think they’ll be involved maybe, but they should be involved enthusiastically,” he remarked.

Trump added that he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron, who he said was willing to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to announce which countries have agreed to aid the US.

The President reiterated his call for international support to reopen shipping traffic in the strait, which has been effectively closed to tankers transporting a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas after Iran retaliated to US-Israeli attacks with drones, missiles, and mines. “Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me,” Trump said, underlining the importance of global cooperation.