Ex-Vice Chief Keane: NATO Cut Military Spending for Welfare, Precipitating Security Crisis

Retired General Jack Keane criticized NATO allies for exposing military weaknesses by cutting defense spending to boost welfare budgets amid the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 20% of global crude oil supply. He stated that social democratic nations have slashed defense budgets for welfare programs over decades, and these reductions have created vulnerabilities exploitable by other great powers. Keane also analyzed that the participation of allied nations contributes to lowering threats to a manageable level.

In the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime route through which approximately one-fifth of the world's crude oil supply passes, maritime traffic has been largely suspended since early March 2026, with around 20 vessels reported attacked during the process.

'Operation Epic Fury,' launched on February 28, 2026, is a joint operation by the United States and Israel aimed at neutralizing Iran's military infrastructure. The U.S. is dropping bunker-buster bombs to strike Iran's underground missile storage sites, and on March 13, 2026, an airstrike damaged a building near a police station in Tehran, Iran.

Six countries – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan – have issued a joint statement guaranteeing safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz. These nations intend to ensure safe passage using appropriate means, while U.S. and allied forces are undertaking military deployments to neutralize threats within the Strait.