Trump lashes out again at Europe for its lukewarm support against Iran.

By MARK LANDLER and CATHERINE PORTER

President Donald Trump lashed out again at European allies Tuesday for their refusal to get more involved in the Iran war. He accused France of denying permission to U.S. warplanes to fly over its territory and challenged Britain to “go get your own oil” by forcibly reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The French government said it was “surprised” by Trump’s claim, made on his Truth Social account, but did not issue an explicit denial. A French military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, said that France had not closed its airspace to U.S. planes.

The president’s two posts came after Spain, which has been the most vocal European opponent of the war, said it had denied permission to U.S. military planes to fly over its territory before striking Iran.

There were reports in the Italian media that Italy, too, had restricted the use of a base in Sicily by U.S. planes. But the Italian government played down those reports, saying that it considered America’s requests on a case-by-case basis, and denied tensions with Washington over the use of bases.

Britain and France have refused to take part in offensive military operations, citing the fact that Trump did not consult them before launching the joint operation with Israel. Britain has allowed U.S. bombers to use bases in its territory, though it has insisted that they be used only for defensive missions like striking Iranian military sites involved in attacks on British interests.

Britain and France are coordinating an effort to assemble a coalition of up to 35 countries that would help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade route that lines Iran’s southern coast, after the conflict has scaled down. That effort could include deploying frigates to escort oil tankers through the narrow waterway. Some could be mounted with antiaircraft batteries to shoot down Iranian drones or missiles.

In his posts, Trump repeated his claim that the United States and Israel had “decimated” Iran, leaving European countries with little to do, aside from reopening the strait, which he said was in their own economic interest. He also repeated a threat that the United States would no longer defend its allies in NATO.

“You’ll have to learn how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” Trump said. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”

While Trump has regularly bashed Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain — “He’s no Winston Churchill,” the president said — his targeting of France is new. After a recent phone call with President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said, “On a scale of zero to 10, I’d say he’s been an 8. Not perfect, but it’s France. We don’t expect perfect.”

On Tuesday, however, the president had soured. “France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated,” he posted. “The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!”