Allies Rally on Hormuz - Rutte’s Trump Praise Blows Up Dem Talking Points

RedState 

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte appeared on "Face the Nation" to talk about the Strait of Hormuz and the threats from Iran. 

Rutte explained that the good news was that 22 countries were coming together to make sure that the Strait of Hormuz was free. He explained they'd always gotten things achieved before, as when President Donald Trump had gotten things like the NATO allies to pay their 5 percent share, which helped to provide for greater defense. He said he was "absolutely convinced" they could do the job when it came to Iran. 

Most of the 22 are NATO countries. Others involved also included Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. “So we are now planning the military people and others amongst this group of 22 nations and with the U.S.,” Rutte said.

He didn't specifically identify what military assets were being employed. U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz spoke on Face the Nation about Japan potentially providing some help from its naval assets, since about "80 percent of what's coming out of the Gulf is going to Asia." But they are restricted by law as to what they can provide after World War II. 

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Sunday hinted at the possibility of sending the country’s Self-Defence Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, provided that a ceasefire is realised.

Rutte followed Waltz and spoke about Iran targeting Diego Garcia with two intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM). The targeting of an island 2,500 miles away from Iran suggested that they could potentially hit European capitals and U.S. bases in Europe. Iran had previously denied having such capability, but Trump warned they had it. 

Rutte said they were looking at the facts to confirm the capability, but he said if this was true, that was more evidence that Trump's decision to take out Iran's ballistic missile capability and the nuclear capability was "crucial." He explained that if Iran had the missile and nuclear capability, that would be an "existential threat" to everyone in the region and the stability of the world. 

"I really hope the American people will be with him because he's doing this to make the whole world safer," Rutte said. That part really ticked off some Europeans on social media when he took up for Trump and said he was right. But Rutte has shown in the past he's not afraid to stick up for what Trump is trying to achieve, just as he did when Trump was trying to get other NATO nations to pay their share of the defense costs.