Trump says 'no help' countries should reimburse US after Iran war ends
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign executive orders related to beef, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Sept. 4. Reuters-Yonhap
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has said countries that have been "no help" should "reimburse" the United States when the Iran war ends, as the U.S. has sought international cooperation in restoring free and safe passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the remarks in a social media post on Monday, as Seoul has been deliberating on whether to commit its military assets to help secure the waterway, a crucial shipping route for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities, which Iran has effectively choked off during the war.
"Oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait. The Countries of the World, which have been no help to us whatsoever, should, and will, reimburse the United States of America when this SCAM Confligration is all over," he wrote on Truth Social, apparently misspelling "conflagration" as "confligration."
"We are doing it much more for others, than we are for ourselves, and we have been for Generations!" he added.
He did not mention any particular countries by name.
In April, Trump singled out South Korea, arguing that the Asian ally was "not helpful" to the U.S. despite Washington having stationed its troops "in harm's way" in the Asian country, which he stressed is located "right next to" North Korea's nuclear arsenal.