President Donald Trump claimed the United States does not need the help of members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the war against Iran, despite calling for allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week.
The president said on Tuesday that the U.S.-Israel operation against Iran was successful in decimating Tehran’s military, not warranting additional help from other nations.
“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!” Trump fumed on Truth Social. “Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
Trump reiterated his comments in person during a bilateral with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Ireland’s prime minister, in the Oval Office.
“And I didn’t do a full court press, because I think if I did, they probably would,” he said. “But we don’t, we don’t need help.” Trump also claimed, “NATO is making a very foolish mistake.”
Trump’s frustrations with NATO allies’ desires to stay neutral as the Iran war enters its third week of battle erupted both online and in-person.
“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East,” he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.
“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump also wrote.
The president has long criticized NATO members for not contributing enough funding to the alliance. He successfully negotiated an increase in their defense spending from 2% gross domestic product to 5%. But allies have been wary of wading into the Iran war, even as Trump had previously asked for help to secure the Strait of Hormuz to help reduce oil prices.
“And I’ve long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us,” said Trump, speaking in the Oval Office. “This was a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.”
Trump later added that he was “disappointed in NATO” and “disappointed in a couple of other countries too.”
The Trump administration has claimed the Iran war will end between four and five weeks, but Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. will be “leaving in the near future.”
“If we left right now, it would take 10 years for them to rebuild, but we’re not ready to leave yet,” he also said. “Right now, they’ve been decimated from every standpoint. And again, we had great support from countries in the Middle East, but we had no support from centuries, no support from NATO.”
The president stopped short of claiming any repercussions against the alliance when questioned by reporters.
“Well, no, I just think that it’s not good for a partnership when they say, what you’re doing is a great thing, but we’re not going to help,” Trump said.
Trump also declined to say he was rethinking his relationship with NATO. “I have nothing currently in mind, but I will say that I’m not exactly thrilled when we help them with Ukraine,” the president said, referring to Ukraine’s battle against Russia.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a Trump ally on Capitol Hill, said he spoke to the president Tuesday morning about NATO.
“I have never heard him so angry in my life. I share that anger given what’s at stake,” he wrote on X. “The repercussions of providing little assistance to keep the Strait of Hormuz functioning are going to be wide and deep for Europe and America.”