New Delhi: President Donald Trump is “strongly considering” withdrawing the US from The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), calling the military alliance a “paper tiger” after western allies refused to back Washington’s Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
Speaking to British newspaper Daily Telegraph, the US president said, “I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin (Russian President) knows that too, by the way.”
Asked if he is reconsidering America’s membership in the alliance, Trump said, “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration.”
The remarks come as Washington’s European allies showed reluctance to participate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Israel-led joint operation against Iran started on 28 February.
The Strait of Hormuz is a maritime chokepoint between Iran & Oman, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. This strait is also very crucial for the global energy supply, as nearly 20 percent of world’s oil shipments pass through the narrow channel.
After the military strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran effectively closed the maritime passage. This has disrupted the energy flows, while driving up oil and gas prices, and raising concerns of a potential global recession.
While referring to NATO, Donald Trump further highlighted the difficulty in comprehending its lack of support for US efforts. “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’.”
In response to claims that the West Asian war is a non-European conflict, Trump added, “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.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington may “reexamine the value of NATO” if allies continue denying support.
“We’re going to have to reexamine the value of NATO and that alliance for our country. 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,” he told Fox News.
Meanwhile, in a post on Truth Social Tuesday, Trump said, “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, they either buy from the US or ‘build up some delayed courage’ to go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT”.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was one of the first European leaders to distance Britain from the conflict in West Asia.
In a press conference Wednesday, the British PM said, “It’s been absolutely clear that this is not our war. And we are not going to be dragged into it. And I’m equally clear that when it comes to defence security, and our economic future, we have to have closer ties with Europe.”
In the past, while addressing the economic fallout due to the Strait’s closure, Starmer underscored the five-point government plan, which includes measures such as cutting bills, extending fuel duty relief, boosting investment in clean energy, and pursuing diplomatic de-escalation in the Middle East.
In another Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump criticised France for blocking US planes loaded with military supplies flying to Israel.
(Edited by Varnika Dhawan)
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