Donald Trump is facing a revolt from his once-counted-upon allies over his war in Iran.
Protesters in NATO ally countries raged against Trump, 79, on Saturday, taking to the streets in demonstrations against the United States and Israel over the surprise war in Iran, which began on Feb. 28.
In Montreal, hundreds of demonstrators wielded megaphones and held signs disparaging Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Israel and Pedophile Trump Bombs Iran Over Lies Now Your Family Struggles As Food & Gas Goes Up!” one large banner read, according to footage of the demonstrations. Another demonstrator held figurines depicting Trump and Netanyahu wearing bloodied aprons.
A similar sentiment emerged in Madrid, where 4,000 demonstrators gathered for a rally, according to reports. Earlier in March, Trump labeled the country a “loser” after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez did not allow the use of their shared military bases for the war.
Other protests in Edinburgh and Amsterdam were held in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which was designated by the United Nations after South African authorities opened fire on a peaceful anti-apartheid demonstration in 1960, killing 69 people in what is now known as the Sharpeville Massacre.
The international outcry over the conflict—which has killed thousands in Iran and neighboring countries, including 13 U.S. servicemembers—comes as the president has repeatedly raged against NATO allies for their lack of support for the war he started without consulting them.
“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!” Trump ranted on Truth Social on Friday. “They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran.”
The president went on to declare victory against Iran—as he has done repeatedly, only to reverse course and threaten new military strikes hours later—and berate allied leaders for not assisting the United States in keeping the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil travels, open amid the conflict.
“Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices,” he wrote.
“So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” the president continued.
Trump escalated his verbal attacks on his NATO counterparts this week as oil prices surged—Brent crude, the global benchmark, briefly approached $120 a barrel at its peak.
On Thursday, Trump complained in the Oval Office that NATO did not want to help defend the Strait, but claimed, “Now they’re getting much nicer because they’re seeing my attitude.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s too late,” Trump declared.
For their part, some European leaders have stood firmly behind NATO’s stated mission to defend allied countries from attacks, not provoke them.
“France’s posture is unchanged: Defensive. Protective,” French Response, the official X account of France’s foreign ministry, wrote in a March 16 post responding to another threat from Trump.
Little support for Trump and Israel’s war on Iran exists among allied countries. An IPSOS poll from March 18 found that 80 percent of British respondents expressed “concern” over the economic impact of the conflict, while 79 percent of French citizens said they fear it will spread beyond the Middle East. Additionally, a majority of Canadians (60 percent) disapprove of the U.S. strikes, which were launched without congressional approval.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
