President Donald Trump challenged U.S. allies who opted out of his war on Iran to "go get your own oil" as the global economy braces for fuel shortages.
Fuel costs have soared since Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz in response to the joint U.S.-Israeli military option, but Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has suggested that reopening the crucial waterway was not necessarily a condition for winding down Operation Epic Fury, and Tuesday morning he urged allies to take responsibility for ending the blockade.
"All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," Trump posted on Truth Social.
"You’ll have to start learning 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. Iran has been, essentially, decimated," he added. "The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!"
Social media users agreed this was another example of "Trump Always Chickens Out," and they blasted him for looking for an exit ramp without any clear objective.
"It certainly seems like Trump is preparing to TACO and abandon the Strait of Hormuz, leaving others to sort out the mess," said history blogger ChrisO_Wiki.
"There goes the (non-existent) 'special relationship,'" sighed journalist Mark Chadbourn.
"This is like an inverted Suez Crisis," observed Bluesky user Pax Lusitanica.
"He can't unf--- this up, but he can kill lots of people trying, so just pray for chicken," posted the LOLGOP account.
"He started a war with no reason and no plan, sending the world into a crisis solely of his own creation, and now he's angrily bitching that other countries need to clean up his mess," opined historian Kevin Kruse.
"I think he’s starting to sweat the economy and he’s panicking," offered Bluesky user Ryan. "Panicking tyrants always ends well."
"I mean, I think they’ll probably prefer to pay Iranian tolls that fund its regime rather than commit to a long-term deployment where their ships are in a shooting gallery?" suggested Media Matters' Matthew Gertz. "This war is so f------ stupid!"
"Republicans of the 21st century suck at both diplomacy and strategy," added political scientist Steve Saideman. "All this was easy to foresee – the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian retaliation against neighbors, angering US allies. And the concept of a plan people went ahead. So much harm, so much waste, for very little gain."