Allies let US down during Iran war, Donald Trump tells NATO chief Mark Rutte

During their meeting, Trump said he was disappointed with Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, and also criticised Spain.

In Short

• Donald Trump named Italy, Britain, Germany, France and Spain in his criticism
• He said partners did not explicitly offer the help Washington expected
• Mark Rutte said Europe provided wide logistical and operational support throughout

US President Donald Trump on Thursday told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that European allies had “let us down” during the Iran war, expressing frustration over what he described as inadequate support from key NATO partners during the conflict.

During their meeting, Trump said he was disappointed with Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, and also criticised Spain. “We were let down,” Trump said, adding that the level of assistance provided by allies fell short of expectations during a major security crisis.

“If anybody else were in that position, we would not even be meeting today with you,” Trump said, suggesting that stronger allied backing would normally have been expected. He added that it would have been better if partners had explicitly offered help during the conflict.

Despite his criticism, Trump said that he continued to respect Rutte and indicated that discussions between the US and NATO leadership would continue.

Responding during the meeting, Rutte defended the role of European allies and praised the broader coordination during the conflict. He said Iran’s nuclear capability had been significantly degraded and noted that G7 leaders had acknowledged the strategic impact of the operation.

“This is, first of all, about the nuclear capability Iran was basically getting its hands on,” Rutte said, backing the US’s military action in the West Asian region.

During the meeting, the NATO Chief further added that Iran’s nuclear capability had been “degraded” and said G7 leaders had welcomed the outcome. He also pointed to extensive logistical and operational support from Europe, noting that 4,000 to 5,000 US planes had operated from bases in Europe during the six-week conflict.

Highlighting infrastructure coordination, Rutte said even airports such as Bucharest in Romania had to adjust commercial operations to support military requirements. While acknowledging “isolated cases” of concern, he said that overall, European allies had stood with the United States during the war.

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