President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States may withdraw from NATO, sharply criticising European allies over their stance on America’s war alongside Israel against Iran, further deepening tensions in the transatlantic alliance.
Trump, asked whether he would reconsider US membership in NATO after the war concludes, replied: “Oh yes, I would say (it's) beyond reconsideration.” NATO did not immediately comment on the statement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded by reaffirming the UK’s commitment to the alliance, calling NATO “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.” He stressed that decisions taken by the UK would remain guided by national interest, amid soaring petroleum prices following Iran’s partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
For years, Trump has criticised European allies for relying heavily on American military support and urged them to increase defence spending. The current war in the Middle East has further strained ties, with Trump urging NATO countries to contribute to securing the Strait of Hormuz, accusing allies such as the UK of inaction.
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“Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I am going to act in the British national interest in all the decisions I make,” Starmer said.
The US President has also taken to social media, calling out countries like the United Kingdom for refusing involvement in military action against Iran and suggesting they buy American oil or secure the strait themselves. NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte has meanwhile focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine, highlighting competing priorities within the alliance.
Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty obliges members to collective defence, but its consensus-driven structure requires agreement from all 32 members, making unilateral action impossible. The current conflict has seen missiles and drones fired toward NATO member Turkiye and a British base in Cyprus, though no NATO intervention has been signalled.
European leaders have vocally opposed the war. Spain recently closed its airspace to US military flights, while France has allowed the US Air Force access to bases under strict guarantees. Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticised the campaign, describing it as “a dangerous mistake” violating international law.
Trump’s comments come amid rising US-Europe tensions over Greenland, NATO spending obligations, and the broader geopolitical fallout from the war on Iran, exposing fractures that could redefine transatlantic relations.
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