'Done what we have been asked to do': Albanese says Trump has not asked Australia for more war support
Donald Trump has called America's NATO allies "cowards" for not involving themselves in the war in Iran as PM Anthony Albanese maintained the US President has not asked Australia to do anything else.
The president lashed out in an angry post on his Truth Social account.
"Without the USA, NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!" he wrote.
READ MORE: Trump berates allies as he finds himself alone on Iran war
Donald Trump called his NATO allies "cowards" for not providing military support for his war with Iran. AP
"They didn't want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices.
"So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!"
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, is an alliance involving the US, Canada, and most countries in Europe.
Trump's outburst marks another turnaround for the president, who said on Wednesday that the US didn't need the help of other countries.
"Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance," he said on his social media site.
"WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea."
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Donald Trump has given mixed messages on whether he needs the support of his allies. AP
Albanese said Trump hasn't asked for anything else.
"The truth is that we have said yes to the request of the UAE for the E7 wedgetail aircraft that's operating there with personnel," he told a press conference on Saturday.
"In addition to that we've sent AMRAAM that's making a difference as well to intercept missiles or drones aimed at the UAE.
"So we continue to provide the support we've been asked to support.
"We have done what we have been asked to do.
"We've signed up to the statement that's been issued, that's been coordinated by the United Kingdom, that speaks about the work that we're doing to ensure the Straits of Hormuz remain open. That's critical."
He said he spoke to Trump a week ago and said they continue to "engage constructively".
READ MORE: The comments from Trump's right-hand man that should annoy every Aussie
Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Mina Al Fajer, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) AP
On Tuesday Trump said unnamed countries were "coming already" to support the US in the Middle East.
The US is now deploying more warships and another 2500 Marines in the region.
The president also brushed off the importance of the Strait of Hormuz.
"We don't use the strait, the United States, we don't need it," Trump said.
"At a certain point, it'll open itself."
While the US sources most of its oil domestically, 20 per cent of the world's oil is shipped through the strait.
That includes a substantial amount of oil used in Australia.
Overnight Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement praising the Iranian people's steadfastness.
"The enemy has been defeated," Khamenei said.
"(Iranians have) dealt him a dizzying blow so that he now starts uttering contradictory words and nonsense."
Meanwhile, US Central Command has confirmed that 232 American service members have been injured since the war began three weeks ago.
Of those, ten are seriously wounded, and 207 have been able to return to duty.
READ MORE: Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbor in front of Japan's PM
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