NATO, others turn down US call for help in Hormuz: Trump
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump on Tuesday said NATO and most of US' other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the war with Iran entered the third week.
In a social media post, Trump asserted that Iran’s military has been “decimated” and he no longer felt the need for assistance from NATO countries or anyone else.
Last week, Trump had sought help from European nations and others who depend on oil supplies transiting from the Hormuz Strait to safeguard the critical waterway.
“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social.
Iran's attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said.
He said Australia, Japan and South Korea too have turned down his call for help.
“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military – Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again,” Trump said.
He said that given the scale of recent military successes, the US no longer "need" or desires assistance from NATO countries, adding that it never relied on such support in the first place.
Speaking as President of the United States, the "most powerful" country in the world, "we do not need" help from anyone, Trump said.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israeli combine conducted airstrikes on Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has effectively been shut following the US and Israel attack on Iran and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that from Tehran's "perspective", the strait is "open". "It is only closed to Iran's enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”
Earlier in the day, a second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached the country after safely sailing from the war-hit Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the first ship, Shivalik, reached Mundra port in Gujarat.
As of now, 22 Indian vessels remain on the west side and two on the east side of the strait.
Indian authorities are in constant touch with all the relevant stakeholders in the region to secure the safe passage of the remaining ships, officials said.
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Health Dept focusing on reforms, says Karnataka Minister Rao
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said his department was focused on presenting the ground reality and improving healthcare delivery, even as the opposition accused the government of "mismanagement and internal conflicts".
Responding to a discussion on the functioning of the Health Department in the assembly, the Minister said the government had undertaken several reforms and programmes to strengthen public healthcare and expand access across the state.
“I am not here to say that everything they said is wrong, nor am I here to counter their arguments point by point. I will simply present the ground reality—what the situation is, what is happening, and what we have done,” he said.
Rao rejected allegations levelled by the opposition that the Health department was in decline and instead highlighted initiatives such as the Griha Arogya Yojana, under which around 51 lakh households were covered, and large-scale screening and treatment programmes for diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer were facilitated.
He said lakhs of patients were currently under treatment for various conditions and emphasised preventive healthcare and early diagnosis.
The minister also cited the implementation of day-care chemotherapy centres in all district hospitals, enabling patients to access treatment closer to home.
Under schemes such as Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi, he said life-saving injections costing up to Rs 25,000 were being provided free of cost, helping save around 18,000 lives.
Dialysis services had also been overhauled, with 7.39 lakh cycles conducted so far and thousands of patients receiving regular treatment.
The minister noted that the Asha Kiran programme, recognised by the World Health Organization, had led to the establishment of 393 vision centres, benefiting lakhs of people through free eye check-ups and surgeries. The Suchi scheme had been revived to provide sanitary pads and menstrual cups to women.
On disease control, Rao said dengue-related deaths have been brought down to zero in 2025 through preventive measures and community outreach, while fatalities due to KFD had also declined significantly.
He also highlighted progress in reducing maternal mortality, stating that the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) had declined from 62 to 48, with a target of bringing it down to 30 by 2028. Measures such as risk identification, mandatory hospital stays, and strengthening of taluk hospitals with specialist doctors were being implemented.
“We are not shutting down facilities arbitrarily but reorganising them based on performance and geographical needs,” he said, adding that the aim was to ensure “guaranteed” healthcare services at all times.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka accused the government of "failing" to manage the Health Department, alleging internal conflicts among senior officials and shortages of medicines.
“The Health Department has become unhealthy. First, resolve the internal quarrels among officials and then improve the department,” Ashoka said.
He also raised concerns over the functioning of the department, claiming that the officials are not attending office for months and alleging lapses in medicine supply and administration.
He questioned the transfer of doctors from Community Health Centres and sought clarity on budgetary allocations and expenditure on healthcare.
Ashoka further alleged that doctors had complained about increased workload and declining services at local health centres following transfers, and urged the government to reverse such decisions.
The Minister, however, maintained that reforms were aimed at better utilisation of resources and strengthening healthcare infrastructure, particularly at the taluk level, to ensure timely and quality medical services for the public.
