Trump: "No Need for US Presence in Gulf, We Are World's Largest Energy Supplier"

US President Donald Trump yesterday said there was no need for his country to be present in the Gulf region, especially since the US has become the world’s largest energy producer.

In a series of tweets, Trump expressed his discontent with what he called “the United States’ protection of maritime routes free of charge for years” in the Strait of Hormuz, calling on the world – especially China and Japan – “to protect their own vessels”.

He added that “China gets 91 percent of its oil imports and Japan receives its 62 percent through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as for many other countries”.

President Trump continued: “Why do we keep protecting maritime routes for other countries for years without getting anything in return? All these countries have to protect their own ships along this dangerous journey in the future.”

The US President also pointed out that his country is the world’s largest energy supplier and that the US no longer needs to be present in the Gulf region.

“We do not need to be there, as the United States has become the world’s largest energy supplier.”

As for Iran, Trump asserted: “We requested from Iran a very simple thing to do, which is not to possess nuclear weapons and stop sponsoring terrorism.”

The region has witnessed increasing tensions between the United States – along with its allies in the Gulf region – on the one hand, and Iran on the other. This has come due to Tehran’s relinquishing of some of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal, following Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of targeting Saudi facilities through the help of Yemen’s Houthi Movement.