Trump says NATO has done ‘absolutely nothing’ on Iran
ISTANBUL 3/26/26
President Donald Trump said Thursday that American NATO allies have done “absolutely nothing” to help with the Iranian “lunatic nation, now militarily decimated.”
“The U.S.A. needs nothing from NATO, but ‘never forget’ this very important point in time,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
In recent days, Trump has urged allies and rivals, including China, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route, as disruptions there have driven up global oil prices.
A number of European countries declined, saying the Iran conflict was a war started by Trump without consulting US allies.
Trump previously reiterated that the US does not need NATO, calling the alliance’s stance a “very foolish mistake.” He said he is not planning to withdraw from the alliance but suggested it is an option worth considering.
Trump has long denigrated NATO, and during his first term, according to multiple White House accounts, he openly considered withdrawing from the postwar Western alliance.
Later, addressing a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said the US is "very disappointed" with NATO.
"I'll say it publicly. We're very disappointed with NATO, because NATO has done absolutely nothing," Trump said.
He argued that NATO will "never" come to their rescue.
"I said 25 years ago that NATO is a paper tiger, but more importantly, that we'll come to their rescue, but they will never come to ours," he said.
* Diyar Guldogan from Washington, DC contributed to this report