Tells Europe to get own oil, fight as US ‘won’t help’ France closes airspace to US military, Italy denies Sicilia
BRUSSELS/
WASHINGTON:
President Donald Trump sharply rebuked key European allies on Tuesday as divisions within NATO widened over the expanding war with Iran, even as the conflict intensified on multiple fronts, disrupted global energy flows and pushed fuel prices to multi-year highs.
As the war entered its fifth week, Trump lashed out at close NATO allies, including France, Britain, Italy and Spain, for refusing to fully back the US-led military campaign, accusing them of failing to shoulder their share of the burden.
In a pointed social media post, he told allies to “go get your own oil” and warned they would have to “start learning how to fight for yourselves; the USA won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us.”
His remarks came amid visible resistance from European capitals. France denied US aircraft permission to use its airspace for transporting military supplies linked to the war, while Italy reportedly refused landing rights for certain operations at a key Sicilian air base.
Spain went further, closing its airspace to US planes involved in strikes, defending the move as consistent with international law. Despite tensions, however, officials in Rome and Paris insisted that cooperation with Washington remained intact within existing frameworks.
The diplomatic rift unfolded as global markets reacted nervously to mounting disruptions in energy supply. Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent crude prices soaring and driven petrol prices in the United States above $4 per gallon for the first time in years.
At the Pentagon, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a defiant tone, warning that the coming days would be “decisive” and signalling that Washington was prepared to escalate military pressure even as diplomatic channels remained open.
He declined to rule out the deployment of ground forces, saying unpredictability remained central to US strategy. “We have more and more options, and they have fewer,” Hegseth told the media briefing.
He said that while negotiations with Tehran were “very real”, the United States would continue its military campaign until its objectives were secured. Senior military officials said operations were ongoing to degrade Iran’s capabilities, with strikes targeting weapons manufacturing sites.
More than 150 Iranian vessels have reportedly been destroyed so far, while reinforcements, including elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, have begun arriving in the region, expanding Washington’s military options.
On the ground, the war showed little sign of abating. Powerful explosions rocked the Iranian city of Isfahan following US strikes on military and nuclear-linked sites, sending fireballs into the sky. In Tehran and other cities, rescue workers searched for survivors after fresh bombardments.
Iran, for its part, escalated its retaliation, launching missile and drone attacks across the region. An Iranian drone struck a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai, igniting a fire that was later contained without casualties. Air defence systems were activated in several Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia intercepting ballistic missiles and sirens sounding in Bahrain.
Israel continued its own attacks, targeting sites in Iran as well as Hezbollah-linked infrastructure in Beirut, raising fears of a broader regional war. In the occupied West Bank and Israeli cities, damage from incoming missiles and intercepted projectiles added to the mounting toll.
The conflict, now more than a month old, has already claimed thousands of lives. Iranian authorities report over 1,900 deaths, while Israel has reported casualties on its side. Additional fatalities were recorded in Gulf states.
Tehran has also broadened its threats, warning it could target major US-linked companies operating in the region in retaliation for continued strikes. The move signals a potential expansion of the conflict into economic and cyber domains.
Despite the intensifying violence, diplomatic efforts have not entirely stalled. The United States has conveyed proposals for a ceasefire through intermediaries, though Iranian officials have dismissed them as unrealistic.
At the same time, countries such as Pakistan and China have stepped up calls for an immediate truce and renewed negotiations. However, Trump has oscillated between signalling openness to a deal and threatening further escalation.
The US president warned this week that if Iran does not agree to terms and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States could target key energy infrastructure, including major export hubs and desalination facilities.
