The United States’ war against Iran has exposed over domestic support to an overseas war and also put to test allies and their allegiances in the ongoing conflict, now in its second month.
After a series of rebukes from European allies over support to US and its operations in the Middle East, Trump has now professed a ‘dangerous idea’, one that has more global ramifications than US-Europe relations: a possible exit from NATO, a military bloc that was once formed by US as its founding member.
In an interview with The Telegraph, US President Trump said he is strongly considering pulling the US out of the military bloc after it failed to join the war against Iran.
The recent remark comes after Trump’s countries, saying NATO nations have done “absolutely nothing” to help with Iran and that he needs “no help from NATO”.
The US President labelled the alliance a “paper tiger” even as he said that walking out of the treaty was now “beyond reconsideration”.
When asked if he would reconsider the US’s membership of NATO after the Iran War, he said, “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
Why is Trump unhappy with NATO?
Trump’s anguish with NATO countries stem from a range of setbacks from his allies in the West, especially amid developments after February 28.
When Trump called European nations and their warships to join US efforts in ending US blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, not even one country replied in the affirmative.
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Over the weeks, to US warplanes fighting against Iran, while the US war in Iran, in strongest word in a series of statements and public remarks. Italy has also denied permission to US aircraft seeking to land at bases in Sicily.
France has allowed the use of its bases for support functions like refuelling, but refused to permit operations linked to offensive strikes.
In light of these developments, Trump’s remark is a fresh evidence of Europe drifting away from the US, a trend that started with disagreements over aid to Ukraine against Russia and latest with the war in Iran.
‘They weren’t there for us’
Trump’s anguish with NATO ranges back to 2025, when he lambasted Europe allies for little support to Ukraine.
“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t ourproblem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us,” Trump told The Telegraph. The US President has on several occasion said that while US was aiding Ukraine against Russia, European countries were buying cheap Russian oil and funding Moscow’s war machinery.
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On Tuesday, when Trump announced that he would be withdrawing from Iran war ‘soon’, he also slammed the NATO allies saying the US did not need their assistance.
“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,” Trump said.
He added the US had achieved “military success” in Iran, claiming that America did not “need” NATO’s assistance.
British Prime Minister reacts
Following Trump’s NATO criticism, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would act in the country’s interest even as he called for the UK to deepen its relationship with Europe.
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“Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I’m going to act in the British national interest in the decisions that I make,” Starmer said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Starmer also responded to Trump’s criticism, saying “the US and UK are close allies have been for a very, very long time.” Starmer said he still didn’t feel like he needed to choose between the US and Europe.
