Trump warns of ‘very unhealthy future’ for Nato if his name for warships to police Strait of Hormuz is refused – hinting he might punish Ukraine

Donald Trump has warned of a ‘very bad’ future for Nato if allies refuse his demands to send warships to police the Strait of Hormuz.

The US president upped the ante over the crucial oil channel by linking the situation to Ukraine, as his war on Iran threatens to tip the world into chaos and recession. 

But UK ministers risked inflaming tensions further this morning by playing down ‘rhetoric’ coming out of the White House.  

Tehran has effectively closed the route, through which around a fifth of global supplies pass, despite Mr Trump’s claims to have ‘obliterated’ its military.

The president insisted on Saturday that Britain, France and China should ‘send ships to the area so that the Strait will no longer be threatened by a nation that has been totally decapitated’.

The UK, France Australia, Canada and Japan have already suggested they will not obey the request. Keir Starmer is thought to have conveyed to Mr Trump in a phone call last night that the UK is only ready to deploy minesweeping drones. 

On another rollercoaster day with the Middle East in flames:

• A former UK forces chief has warned navy ships would be at serious risk of sinking if they were sent to the Strait. Nick Carter also insisted Nato is a defensive alliance and not designed to underpin offensive action; 
• Sir Keir is set to hold a Downing Street press conference laying out plans to support Brits with heating oil costs;
• Ministers are hinting at a bigger bailout if the crisis drags on – but cash is expected to be targeted at benefits claimants and pensioners;

Speaking to the Financial Times after the call, Mr Trump said: ‘It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there.

‘We have a thing called Nato,’ Trump said. ‘We’ve been very sweet. We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine… but we helped them. 

‘Now we’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us. And I’m not sure that they’d be there.’

He added: ‘If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of Nato.’

The president previously insisted the US did not need any military assistance from allies such as Britain, accusing them of only turning up after the war was ‘won’. 

Mr Trump also took a fresh swipe at Sir Keir, after branding the PM ‘no Churchill’ for refusing to join initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran a fortnight ago.

‘The UK might be considered the number one ally, the longest serving et cetera and when I asked for them to come, they didn’t want to come,’ he said. 

‘And as soon as we basically wiped out the danger capacity from Iran, they said, ”oh well we’ll send two ships”, and I said, ”we need these ships before we win, not after we win”. I’ve long said that Nato is a one-way street.’

Mr Trump has previously questioned whether Nato countries would stand by the Article 5 commitment to collective defence, even though the only time the provision has been invoked was in response to the September 11 attacks. 

Downing Street said ministers were ‘discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region’.

However, it appears Britain’s only immediate contribution to unblocking the strait will be autonomous underwater vehicles based in Bahrain which are untested in conflict situations.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden told Times Radio: ‘There’s a lot of rhetoric, always, in this presidency.

‘Underneath that, there is a good and close relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States. I’m confident that will continue. We speak to one another all the time.

‘But that doesn’t mean that we will always have to support every intervention and every action that the United States chooses to take.’