By Jim Mishler | Wednesday, 15 April 2026 04:49 PM EDT
Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander, spoke to reporters on Wednesday that some U.S. allies are collaborating with Iran to develop a management plan for the Strait of Hormuz.
During an interview on “American Agenda,” Clark stated that European allies have effectively turned their backs on the United States.
“I think it’s very unfortunate, and particularly the way it’s written with coordination with Iran,” he said. “Who are they working for? If they’re coordinating it with Iran, then they must be working for Iran.”
Clark emphasized that it is clear who holds control: “When Iran says you can’t do it, I guess they’re not going to do it. And that’s the whole point,” he said.
“So, I don’t think this is an acceptable process. It needs some significant modification,” Clark added.
The former NATO chief asserted that Iran’s regime should be last in line for managing the strategic waterway.
“Iran is a belligerent, so they have no right to say whether anybody’s coming in or going out. And if they do, so do we,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s military issued a warning Wednesday that it would block marine traffic in the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman if the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz continued.
This threat has escalated tensions in an already volatile region and heightened emphasis on fragile negotiations to bring the war between the United States and Iran to a close.
Clark expressed deep skepticism about any agreements made by Iran’s negotiators. “Iran has a vote in this, and right now, Iran is sitting smug,” he said.
He continued: “They feel like they’ve fought off the most powerful country in the world, got backing from China and Russia. And they’re excellent negotiators. The old joke is Iran never won a war, never lost a negotiation.”
