US President Donald Trump has said he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO, sharply criticising the alliance for not backing Washington's military efforts against Iran, according to an interview with The Telegraph. Calling NATO a 'paper tiger', Trump said exiting the alliance was now 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.
The remarks come as NATO members have largely refrained from supporting US demands to deploy warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route that has been disrupted amid escalating conflict with Iran.
Trump expressed disappointment over the lack of allied support: “Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe… I just think it should be automatic.”
Drawing comparisons, he added: “We've been there automatically, including Ukraine… They weren't there for us.”
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The US President also took aim at the UK, criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the state of Britain's military capabilities. “You don't even have a navy. You're too old and had aircraft carriers that didn't work,” he said.
Responding to the remarks, Starmer reaffirmed support for NATO, calling it “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen” and stressing: “This is not our war, and we're not going to get dragged into it.”
The comments highlight growing friction between Washington and its traditional allies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed similar concerns, describing NATO as a “one-way street” and saying the US may need to “re-examine” its membership after the Iran conflict.
“If NATO is just about us defending Europe… but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that's not a very good arrangement,” Rubio said, adding that such an arrangement would be “hard to stay engaged in.”
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Trump later said he was “glad” Rubio made those remarks.
The Telegraph reported that the White House is increasingly frustrated with allies over their stance in the Iran war, with discussions underway on restructuring NATO commitments, including proposals for a “pay-to-play” model tied to defence spending.
However, any move to withdraw the US from NATO would require approval from Congress. A 2023 US law mandates that the president cannot exit the alliance without Senate consent or an act of Congress, ensuring such a decision faces significant legislative hurdles.
The developments come as tensions in the Gulf continue to rise, with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz—through which nearly 20% of global oil flows—raising concerns over energy markets and global economic stability.
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