News Today: ‘Go get your own oil’—a Oval Office message that lands in European kitchens
News today begins with a line that sounds like a taunt but carries the weight of gasoline receipts and national strategy: President Donald Trump told governments worried about fuel prices to “go get your own oil” by force from the Gulf, tying everyday costs to a spiraling conflict and a strained alliance.
What did Trump say about fuel prices and the Strait of Hormuz?
In posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump aimed his anger at European countries that refused to join his war against Iran, calling out the United Kingdom and France as transatlantic relations soured amid a conflict described as wreaking havoc on the global economy. He told governments worried about fuel prices to “go get your own oil” by force from the Gulf—comments that pushed oil prices even higher.
Later Tuesday, Trump framed the Strait of Hormuz as a responsibility for the countries that rely on it. “That’s not for us … That’ll be for whoever’s using the strait, ” he told reporters. He also said U. S. forces would end operations in Iran “very soon, ” evoking a timeline of two to three weeks as his administration pursues talks with Iranian authorities.
In the same set of posts, Trump said “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, ” should buy U. S. oil instead. He urged them to “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT. ” U. S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth repeated the call, saying there were countries that “ought be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well, ” adding a pointed remark about “a big, bad Royal Navy. ”
How are European governments responding to the war—and to U. S. pressure?
The dispute is not only rhetorical. Many countries in Europe have called the conflict illegal, and some have blocked Israeli and U. S. planes from moving weapons through their airspace. France blocked Israeli planes from flying weapons through its airspace, while Italy refused last-minute permission for U. S. bombers to land in Sicily. Spain denied the U. S. use of its bases and airspace for the war; on Tuesday, Spain’s defense minister said the country would not “accept lectures from anyone. ”
The United Kingdom sits in a more complicated position. The UK has allowed the U. S. to use its bases for a war its government says is illegal, yet still drew public admonishment from Trump. Separately, the British Defense Ministry said it will send additional air defense support to the Gulf region, including a Sky Sabre air defense system to be deployed to Saudi Arabia and an extension of Royal Air Force Typhoon jets in Qatar. The ministry also said “UK Typhoons and F-35 jets, together with Wildcat helicopters, have continued their defensive missions overnight, including over Cyprus, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE. ”
France’s response also carried a note of surprise. After Trump criticized France for refusing overflight for planes “loaded up with military supplies, ” the office of President Emmanuel Macron said it was “surprised” and that Paris “has not changed its position since day one” of the war.
News Today: What comes next—an address at 9 PM ET, and a warning of deeper rifts
News today also includes a near-term political marker in Washington. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will deliver an “Address to the Nation to provide an important update on Iran” at 9 PM ET tomorrow night. The White House had also said Tuesday that Trump would give an address to “provide an important update on Iran. ”
On the diplomatic front, Trump’s criticism of allies is landing alongside an explicit warning about the future of shared defense arrangements. U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that after the war, Washington would look at whether NATO has “served this country well, ” or whether it has become a “one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, they’re going to deny us basing rights, and they’re going to deny us overflight. ”
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with European Council President António Costa. Pezeshkian said there is a will to end the conflict with the U. S. and Israel provided certain conditions are met, especially a guarantee that Iran will not be attacked again. He said Iran had entered negotiations with the U. S. “sincerely” but was attacked twice, describing it as an attempt to impose interests rather than seek diplomacy. He also said disruption in marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was caused by U. S. and Israeli aggression and would end only when their attacks on Iran do, warning that any foreign intervention in the strait would have dangerous consequences. Costa said European nations do not support attacks against Iran and encourage all parties to resolve their issues through negotiations.
The economic pain is already part of the political vocabulary. Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Tuesday that the oil supply shock caused by the U. S. -Israeli attack on Iran was “probably the worst ever. ” Plans to control the Strait of Hormuz by force are widely considered high risk and unrealistic, even as European countries have been working for years on plans to buy more U. S. oil.
Back in the same week when leaders trade sharp words over airspace, bases, and the strait, the practical question hangs over households and ministries alike: if fuel prices jump again after a single post, what happens when policy turns those posts into action?
Image caption (alt text): News Today—President Donald Trump speaks as allies weigh pressure to “go get your own oil” and keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
