Trump says US does not need Strait of Hormuz, floats troop withdrawal from Europe

ANKARA, Turkey — US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States does not need the Strait of Hormuz, citing what he described as large domestic oil reserves. Speaking in the Turkish capital ahead of a NATO summit hosted by Ankara, Trump also said Washington could withdraw its troops from Europe and expressed frustration with the alliance. Trump said he attended the summit out of respect for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is hosting the event. He noted that Turkey is purchasing American aircraft and that commitments exist regarding the maintenance of F-35 engines, adding that he has no concern about Turkey receiving the F-35. Erdogan separately said Turkey had secured an agreement to acquire five F-35s. On the Middle East, Trump said Turkey had avoided entering a war with Iran because of his efforts and reiterated that Iran's military capabilities would be eliminated, while reiterating that he does not want Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. He also said a good relationship had been built with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa with Erdogan's help, and expressed hope that the war in Ukraine would be brought to a close soon.