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10:48 02.04.2026 •
Donald Trump has told The Telegraph he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO after it failed to join his war on Iran.
The US president labelled the alliance a “paper tiger” and said removing America from the defence treaty was now “beyond reconsideration”.
It is the strongest sign yet that the White House no longer regards Europe as a reliable defence partner following the rejection of Mr Trump’s demand that allies send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Trump was asked if he would reconsider the US’s membership of NATO after the conflict.
He replied: “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
NATO partners have been reluctant to help reopen the strait, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil typically travels. Tehran has effectively closed the strait for weeks, sending global oil and gas prices spiralling while threatening a global recession.
Mr Trump added: “Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey’, you know, I didn’t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic.
“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.”
Singling out the UK, the US president rebuked Sir Keir Starmer for refusing to get involved in the American-Israeli war against Iran, suggesting that the Royal Navy was not up for the task.
“You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” he said, referring to the state of Britain’s fleet of warships.
‘Not a very good arrangement’: Rubio warns US will rethink NATO after Iran war
The White House has grown increasingly frustrated with long-time partners over their position in the war. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, accused NATO of being a “one-way street” as he hit out at US allies for not allowing access to their military bases on Tuesday.
Speaking on Fox News in the hours before the interview with Mr Trump, Mr Rubio said America would have to “re-examine” its NATO membership when the war in Iran came to an end.
“I think there’s no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict is concluded we are going to have to re-examine that relationship.
“If Nato is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement. That’s a hard one to stay engaged in.”
Donald Trump’s top diplomat complains that European allies are not helping America out in the Middle East. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington may need to reconsider its relationship with NATO once the war against Iran is over, sharply escalating pressure on European allies that America accuses of withholding support.
“We’re going to have to reexamine the value of NATO and that alliance for our country,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday night.
“If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement. That’s a hard one to stay engaged in,” Rubio added, POLITICO quotes.
Mr Trump told The Telegraph he was “glad” Mr Rubio made the comments.
Trump's European traitors
European countries are stiffening their resistance to U.S. requests for help against Iran despite President Donald Trump's growing fury against Washington's historic allies.
Spain has emerged as a key point of tension in the transatlantic rift. Madrid has barred U.S. military aircraft involved in the Middle East conflict from using its airspace and refused access to key bases, Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo said Monday, reaffirming the government’s opposition to the operation.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Tuesday said Warsaw had “no plans” to relocate its Patriot air defense systems to the Middle East. “Poland’s security is an absolute priority,” he wrote. Italy, too, on Tuesday said it had refused U.S. Iran-bound bombers access to its Sigonella air base in Sicily.
Since the U.S. and Israel began strikes against Tehran on Feb. 28, France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. have resisted sending warships to the Gulf. In March, they backed a joint statement with partners including Japan and Canada supporting “appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz — but only once the fighting stops, as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed.
Tensions have since escalated further. On Tuesday, Trump said France had closed its airspace to aircraft transporting military supplies to Israel, blasting Paris as “VERY UNHELPFUL” and warning: “The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!”
He also warned European allies that securing the Strait of Hormuz would be their responsibility, not Washington’s.
“Go get your own oil!” Trump wrote, as Iran’s blockade of the key shipping route pushes fuel prices higher.
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