Trump says NATO refused to join Iran campaign, calls allies ‘foolish’

US President Donald Trump said most NATO allies refused to join Washington’s military campaign against Iran, calling them “foolish” while insisting the US does not need their support.
 

US President Donald Trump has said that most NATO allies declined to participate in Washington’s military campaign against Iran, criticising the alliance while insisting the United States does not require foreign support.

“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,” Trump said on Tuesday.

Despite their reluctance, he added that “almost every country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said the response did not come as a surprise, reiterating his long-standing criticism of burden-sharing within the alliance. “I always considered NATO… to be a one-way street. We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” he said.

The US president asserted that American forces had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities.

“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military, Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone, and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone,” he said.

Trump argued that these gains made allied support unnecessary. “Because we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!”

He extended the same stance to key US partners in Asia, including Japan, Australia and South Korea, declaring, “WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

Speaking earlier at the White House during talks with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Trump expressed disappointment over the lack of military backing.

“What does surprise me is that they’re not eager to help… There are some countries that greatly disappointed me,” he said, singling out the United Kingdom.

Referring to his request for British naval support, Trump said: “It would be really helpful if you’d send over a couple of ships… He says, well, I’d like to ask my team. I said, you don’t have to worry about a team… you’re the prime minister, you can make a decision.”

He added that later offers of support were no longer useful. “I said, I don’t want them anymore. I don’t want them after we win, I want them before we start.”

Calling NATO allies “foolish”, Trump said, “We don’t need them, but they should have been there.”

Trump linked the issue to longstanding US troop deployments abroad, noting tens of thousands of American forces stationed in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. “We defend all these countries,” he said.

At the same time, he praised backing from regional partners, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, and highlighted cooperation with Israel. “It’s been a very strong collaboration,” he said.

On Ukraine, Trump questioned US spending and allied contributions, stating: “We’re probably in there for $400 billion… we helped them, and they didn’t help us.”

He also confirmed that a meeting with Xi Jinping was being rescheduled, saying it could take place within five weeks, adding: “We have a good relationship with China.”

Turning briefly to Cuba, Trump said further US action was under consideration. “Cuba right now is in very bad shape… We’ll be doing something with Cuba.”

During the meeting, Martin emphasised the importance of transatlantic ties. “The transatlantic relationship between Europe and the US is very, very important,” he said, adding that “we can get a landing zone again”.

While agreeing that Iran posed a serious threat, he stressed the need for a diplomatic resolution. “You cannot have a rogue state with a nuclear weapon… What we want is a peaceful resolution of conflict,” he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that deeper changes were needed in Cuba, while Vice President JD Vance pointed to continued militia threats in the region, saying such groups “can’t” be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

Founded in 1949, NATO remains the cornerstone of transatlantic defence cooperation, with the United States as its largest contributor. However, disputes over defence spending and operational commitments have frequently strained relations.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions have likewise remained a central issue in US foreign policy. Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015 nuclear agreement during his first term, arguing it failed to permanently prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

(With IANS inputs)