Trump questions NATO’s future after allies refuse to back Iran war

US president signals possible withdrawal as alliance divisions deepen over Middle East conflict and Strait of Hormuz crisis

By Abdullahi Yusuf

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after alliance members refused to support the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, describing the bloc as a “paper tiger” in an interview with The Telegraph.

“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were paper tigers, and Putin knows that too,” Trump said, adding that the issue of U.S. membership is now “beyond reconsideration.” He expressed disbelief at the lack of allied support. “Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey’ I just think it should be automatic.”

Trump drew a pointed comparison to Ukraine, where he said the US had stood by its allies without hesitation. “Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them. They weren’t there for us.” He also took aim at Britain specifically, questioning the Royal Navy’s capabilities and dismissing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approach, saying he “can do whatever he wants.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has called NATO a “one-way street” and criticized members for denying the U.S. access to bases, said Washington may “re-examine” its membership after the war, a stance Trump said he was “glad” Rubio had taken.

NATO allies have shown broad reluctance to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively kept closed for weeks, disrupting energy flows, pushing up oil and gas prices and raising fears of a global recession.