US President Donald Trump has said wealthy Gulf nations should reimburse Washington for the cost of protecting the region, arguing the United States no longer relies on Middle Eastern oil. …reports Asian Lite News Desk
US President Donald Trump has said wealthy Gulf nations should help pay for the cost of American military protection in the Middle East, arguing that Washington is shouldering the burden of defending allies despite no longer depending on the region’s energy supplies.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said countries benefiting from US military operations and security commitments should reimburse the United States for its role in safeguarding one of the world’s most strategically significant regions.
“I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” Trump said.
He maintained that the United States continued to provide security for key regional partners despite having reduced reliance on Middle Eastern oil.
“We’re protecting by the countries that we’re helping,” he said.
Trump identified Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait among the countries benefiting from US 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,” he said.
The President argued that America’s strategic interest in the region was no longer driven by energy imports but by broader security commitments to its allies.
“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,” Trump said.
His remarks came as he announced renewed military measures against Iran, including the restoration of a blockade aimed at restricting Tehran’s trade.
“We’re putting the blockade back and it’s a blockade, not for anybody but Iran,” he said.
Trump said the blockade would specifically target Iran while allowing commercial shipping by other countries to continue.
“Anybody doing business with Iran can’t go through. Everyone else will be able to go through,” he said.
The President argued that economic restrictions had been as effective as direct military action in weakening Iran.
“The blockade was probably more effective even than hitting them. But I think the combination is the thing that — that really does it,” he said.
Trump also defended months of US military operations against Iran, claiming they had significantly degraded the country’s military capabilities.
“We knocked out their Navy in a period of one month. We knocked out their air force. Their air force is nonexistent,” he said.
He added that US operations had also weakened Iran’s missile and drone programmes.
Despite the military pressure and economic restrictions, Trump reiterated that the administration’s central objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
The remarks reflect the administration’s continued emphasis on burden-sharing among US allies while maintaining a hardline approach towards Iran. Throughout his presidency, Trump has repeatedly argued that partner nations benefiting from American military protection should contribute more towards the cost of US security commitments.
His latest comments come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, where the United States maintains military partnerships and bases across several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
