US President Donald Trump has indicated he is considering withdrawing the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), following what he described as a lack of support from allies in the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
In an interview reported by The Telegraph, Trump criticised the alliance as a “paper tiger”, suggesting that a potential US exit is no longer just under consideration but a serious possibility.
When asked whether Washington would reassess its NATO membership after the conflict, Trump said the issue went “beyond reconsideration”, reiterating his long-standing scepticism towards the alliance.
“I’ve never been convinced by NATO. I’ve always known it was a paper tiger, and Vladimir Putin knows it too,” he said.
The remarks come amid reports that NATO allies have been reluctant to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route that carries around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supply. Iran’s continued closure of the strait has disrupted global energy flows, driven up prices and raised fears of a wider economic slowdown.
Trump said the lack of backing from allies was difficult to understand, adding that such support should have come automatically.
“We’re always there automatically, including for Ukraine. Ukraine is not our problem, but we still show up. Yet when it comes to us, they are not there,” he said.
He also took aim at the United Kingdom, criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer for declining to support the US-Israel military action against Iran, while questioning the strength of Britain’s naval capabilities.
“You don’t have a navy. It’s ageing, and your aircraft carriers don’t work,” Trump claimed, referring to the state of the UK’s fleet.
Trump declined to advise whether the UK should increase defence spending, saying Starmer could “do whatever he wants”, while also criticising his focus on renewable energy policies, which he argued were contributing to higher energy costs.
Frustration within Washington appears to be growing, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly describing NATO as a “one-way street” and criticising member states that have denied the US access to their military bases.
Rubio added that the US may “re-evaluate” its NATO membership after the conflict, a stance Trump said he supports.
