US President Donald Trump has said wealthy Gulf nations should reimburse the United States for protecting one of the world's most strategically important regions, arguing that Washington is bearing the cost of defending allies despite no longer depending on Middle Eastern oil.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said countries benefiting from US military operations should help finance those efforts. "I want to be reimbursed because we're protecting a very rich portion of the world." Trump said the United States was safeguarding key regional partners while maintaining security in the Gulf.
"We're protecting by the countries that we're helping." He named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait among countries benefiting from American military protection. "For instance, you look at the five countries, you have Saudi Arabia, you have UAE, you have Qatar or Qatar, as I always say.
You have Qatar, Bahrain... You have Kuwait and you have others, and they will do very well." Trump argued that the United States was no longer dependent on energy supplies from the region. "We don't need it, but we need it from the standpoint of protecting allies, etc., etc., including Israel, including Saudi Arabia, including Qatar, including UAE."
His comments came as he announced renewed military operations against Iran and said the United States would restore a blockade targeting Tehran. "We're putting the blockade back and it's a blockade, not for anybody but Iran." Trump said the measure would prevent trade with Iran while allowing commercial shipping by other countries.
"Anybody doing business with Iran can't go through. Everyone else will be able to go through." He argued that the blockade had proven highly effective. "The blockade was probably more effective even than hitting them. But I think the combination is the thing that -- that really does it."
The President also defended months of military operations against Iran, claiming they had dramatically weakened Tehran's armed forces. "We knocked out their Navy in a period of one month. We knocked out their air force. Their air force is nonexistent."
He added that US operations had also degraded Iran's missile and drone capabilities. Trump reiterated that the administration's objective remained unchanged. "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."