United States President Donald Trump has said he is weighing the possibility of withdrawing the United States from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after member countries declined to back Washington during the escalating war against Iran.
In an interview published Wednesday by The Telegraph, Trump expressed strong frustration with the alliance. He said he had long doubted NATO’s effectiveness.
Trump argued that the bloc failed to respond decisively during the crisis and suggested that even Russian President Vladimir Putin viewed NATO as weak.
Trump also criticized NATO members for not assisting efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which he said had remained blocked by Iran for weeks and hurt global shipping schedules.
According to Trump, support from allies during such situations should be automatic rather than negotiated. He said he deliberately avoided heavy diplomatic pressure but expected stronger cooperation.
The US president also took aim at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to play a meaningful role in the war. Trump questioned the operational strength of the British Royal Navy and claimed that it lacked the capacity to participate effectively in the region.