The US president has lambasted bloc members for their unwillingness to join a “team effort” to secure the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized other NATO nations’ unwillingness to join the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, denouncing the bloc as a “one-way street” that America has never really needed.
The remarks came a day after US allies, including NATO members, ignored or outright rejected Trump’s call to join what he described as a “team effort” to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The key waterway, used to transport roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne crude oil, has been effectively closed during the ongoing conflict.
The president said he was “not surprised” by the allies’ inaction. “We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.
He went on to claim that the US had achieved major military success against Iran without any assistance.
“We no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID,” he wrote, adding that Washington does not require any help from other allies such as Japan, South Korea, or Australia either.
Earlier this month, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CBC that there were no guarantees the US-led bloc would survive Trump’s presidency.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO and threatened members who opposed his policies or demands, leading to speculations about the bloc’s potential collapse.
Last year, Trump pushed to raise NATO members’ defense spending target to 5% of GDP and repeatedly slammed Spain for rejecting the pledge. In early March, he threatened Madrid with a trade embargo over its position, as well as its refusal to allow American forces to use joint military bases for strikes on Iran.
Earlier this year, he also threatened tariffs on eight NATO members who opposed his efforts to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, which is part of the bloc. Trump reportedly even considered sending troops to the island before abandoning the idea.
