Donald Trump’s latest address on the war in the Middle East has exposed a deeper frustration at the heart of his foreign policy, with one expert saying the president views Europe and NATO as “freeloading off of American leadership for decades”.

In a speech that largely repeated familiar talking points, the US president delivered a sharp message to allies, urging them to take responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict drags into its fifth week.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Trump criticises allies over Iran war response

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“The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, build up some delayed courage. Should have done it before, should have done it with us as we asked, go to the strait and just take it,” Trump said.

While the remarks contained little new detail about how the war would end, former White House spokesperson Pete Seat said they revealed something more telling about Trump’s worldview.

“President Trump is clearly frustrated at those allies, and he’s frustrated because he feels the United States was forced to act only in alliance with Israel to address the very real threat that Iran desires nuclear weapons,” Seat said.

“The irony here is Europe is closer to Iran, and European capitals, as we now know, are within range of missiles that Iran claimed to not have.”

Seat said the situation feeds into Trump’s long-held belief that Europe and NATO have been “freeloading off of American leadership for decades”.

Former White House Spokesperson Pete Seat said Donald Trump’s speech exposes long-held frustrations with allied nations. Credit: Sunrise

He said the president’s comments reflect a broader pattern in how he approaches alliances, viewing them through a transactional lens, where support is expected to be matched with action.

Whether European nations will respond to that pressure remains unclear, with leaders continuing to meet behind closed doors as the conflict wages on.

According to Seat, Trump is not just telling allies what to do, but watching who actually follows through.

“He loves to say jump and to hear people say, how high, sir,” he said.