President Donald Trump is considering pulling the United States out of NATO after allies refused to support the war in Iran, a report on The Telegraph claimed Wednesday.
In an interview with the newspaper, Trump called the alliance a "paper tiger," saying that withdrawing the U.S. from the defense treaty is no longer under consideration.
Asked whether he would reconsider U.S. membership in the alliance after the conflict, Trump said the issue is "beyond reconsideration."
"I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way," he said.
NATO allies have shown reluctance to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route that typically carries about 20% of global oil shipments, while Iran has effectively kept the strait closed for weeks, disrupting energy flows, driving up oil and gas prices, and raising concerns over a potential global recession.
Trump also said the lack of support is difficult to comprehend. "Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey,’ you know, I didn’t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic."
"We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. 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,” the president said.
Referring to the U.K., Trump also criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for declining to take part in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, casting doubt on the Royal Navy’s capabilities.
"You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work," he said, referring to the state of Britain’s fleet of warships.
When asked whether the U.K. prime minister should increase defense spending, Trump said he would not advise him, adding that Starmer can "do whatever he wants" and criticizing his focus on wind energy, which he claimed is driving up energy costs.
The White House has voiced growing frustration with allies over the war, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling NATO a "one-way street," criticizing members for denying U.S. access to bases and closing airspace.
He said Washington may "re-examine” its NATO membership after the war, a stance Trump said he was "glad” Rubio had taken.
