Donald Trump has floated the possibility of pulling the U.S. out of NATO as countries in the military alliance refuse to join in the Iran war.
Speaking to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the 79-year-old president accused NATO of being a “paper tiger” for not helping the U.S. in the Middle East conflict or reopening the Strait of Hormuz and said U.S. membership will not just be “reconsidered” but is “beyond reconsideration.”
“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and [Vladimir] Putin knows that too, by the way,” Trump said.
Tensions between Trump and the rest of NATO escalated this week after Italy refused to allow American bombers to use the country’s military base en route to the Middle East.
France has blocked Israeli planes from flying weapons through its airspace, while Spain said it would close its airspace to American aircraft involved in military operations and would not allow the U.S. to use its military bases for the war.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Trump said he believes that NATO helping the U.S. in conflicts should be “automatic,” even though NATO is intended to be a defensive alliance and therefore has no real need to assist Trump with his war in Iran.
“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem,” Trump said. “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.”
Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also suggested that the U.S. will need to “re-examine” its position with NATO when the Iran war ends, as several countries refuse to help Trump in the Middle East conflict.
“Unfortunately, we are going to have to re-examine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while is still serving that purpose, or if it has now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, they’re going to deny us basing rights and overflight,” Rubio told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
“I think these are very legitimate questions that we need to be asking.”
NATO has firmly stated it has no intention of getting dragged into the war in Iran since it broke out on Feb. 28.
Trump also lashed out at top U.S. allies such as the U.K. and France on Tuesday for not helping end the Strait of Hormuz crisis he is responsible for starting.
In an unhinged Truth Social post, the 79-year-old president suggested countries affected by the oil crisis stemming from the closure of the shipping route should “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.”
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself. The U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!” Trump added.
The Daily Beast has contacted NATO for comment.
