Trump Threatens to Pull the U.S. Out of NATO After Allies Refuse to Back the Iran War

The 77-year-old military alliance that anchored Western security since the end of World War II is facing the most serious rupture in its history. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump told The Telegraph newspaper and Reuters that he is "absolutely" considering withdrawing the United States from NATO, calling the bloc a "paper tiger" that has refused to stand with America during the Iran war now entering its second month.

"Oh yes, I would say [it's] beyond reconsideration," Trump told The Telegraph when asked if he would reconsider U.S. NATO membership after the war ends. "I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way."

Trump told Reuters the same day: "They haven't been friends when we needed them. We've never asked them for much… it's a one-way street."

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed to CNN that "President Trump has made his disappointment with NATO and other allies clear, and as the President has emphasized, 'the United States will remember.'"

What Triggered the Break

The immediate cause is the Iran war, which began in late February 2026 when U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. Since day one, European NATO members have refused to participate — and over the past several weeks, they have actively denied the U.S. and Israel military cooperation that Trump expected to be automatic.

The friction has escalated across multiple fronts:

Spain has been the most vocal opponent. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called the war "unjustifiable" and "dangerous." Defence Minister Margarita Robles confirmed that Spain's airspace is closed to U.S. military aircraft involved in the Iran conflict, and that shared military bases in Spain cannot be used for the war — only for the collective defense of NATO allies. Trump responded by threatening trade consequences against Madrid.

Italy denied U.S. bombers use of a military base in Sicily, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Rome said each U.S. request would be considered on a case-by-case basis and sought to minimize the appearance of a rift.

France refused to allow U.S. planes "loaded up with military supplies" and "headed to Israel" to fly over French territory, according to Reuters, which cited unnamed sources. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the 'Butcher of Iran,' who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!"

The United Kingdom has allowed U.S. bombers to use its bases but only for defensive missions — striking Iranian military sites tied to attacks on British interests. Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the nation on Wednesday: "This is not our war. We will not be drawn into the conflict. That is not in our national interest." Starmer also said he would not be forced to choose between the U.S. and Europe and added that the UK needs "a stronger relationship with Europe" on defense, energy, and economics.

Trump singled out Starmer in The Telegraph interview: "You don't even have a navy. You're too old and had aircraft carriers that didn't work." He also dismissed the British prime minister's decision-making: "He can do whatever he wants. It doesn't matter. All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof."

Poland, which borders Ukraine and hosts significant NATO forces, said it has "no plans" to relocate its Patriot air defense systems to the Middle East. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X: "Poland's security is an absolute priority."

The Strait of Hormuz Standoff

The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas exports pass — sits at the center of the dispute. Iran has effectively shut down commercial traffic through the strait, attacking tankers from nations it deems unfriendly, and Trump has demanded that NATO allies contribute naval forces to reopen the passage by force.

Every major NATO member asked has refused. Italy, the UK, France, Germany, and Greece have all said no. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius put the European position plainly: "This is not our war. We have not started it."

Trump's response on Truth Social was unambiguous: "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, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT."

The economic cost of Iran's blockade has been severe. Brent crude surpassed $100 per barrel on March 8, 2026 — the first time in four years — and peaked at $126 per barrel, according to Wikipedia's account of the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis. The European Central Bank has warned that a prolonged conflict will likely trigger stagflation — a period of high inflation and low economic growth — across the eurozone.

France has acknowledged the stakes. Paris said last week it was in talks with about 35 unnamed countries to plan a mission to reopen the strait — but only once the war is over.

Secretary Rubio's Warning

Secretary of State Marco Rubio amplified the threat on Monday, telling Al Jazeera that the U.S. would need to "re-examine" its NATO relationship once the Iran conflict concludes.

"If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they're attacked but then denying us basing rights when we need them, that's not a very good arrangement," Rubio said. "That's a hard one to stay engaged in and say this is good for the United States. So all of that is going to have to be reexamined."

It's worth noting: Rubio was one of the architects of the legislation now standing in Trump's way.

Can Trump Actually Leave NATO?

The short answer, under current law, is no — not unilaterally.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, signed into law on December 22, 2023, explicitly prohibits the president from withdrawing the United States from NATO without the advice and consent of the Senate or an act of Congress. The provision requires either a two-thirds Senate supermajority or a congressional vote — a high bar that reflects deep bipartisan support for the alliance among lawmakers even as Trump has consistently undermined it rhetorically.

There is also a treaty obligation: under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty itself, withdrawal requires one year's advance written notice. A country cannot simply walk away.

Separately, in 2023, then-Senator Rubio co-authored with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) the original version of this legislation. The political irony of Rubio now effectively threatening the same withdrawal he once legislated against was not lost on analysts.

Whether Trump would challenge the 2023 law in court — or whether he views the statute as binding — is unclear. A Congressional Research Service report cited by CNN noted that any court analysis would likely have to weigh the constitutional distribution of foreign-affairs powers between the executive and legislative branches, an unsettled area of law.

The Bigger Picture

Trump's NATO threat did not emerge from nowhere. He questioned the alliance's value throughout his first term (2017–2021), repeatedly suggested that the U.S. was being taken advantage of, and at the 2018 Brussels NATO summit, demanded European members sharply increase defense spending. His return to office in 2025 has reignited those tensions — but the Iran war has added a new and more volatile dimension: this is no longer a dispute over burden-sharing in the abstract. The U.S. is actively at war, and allies are not only failing to join — some are actively blocking American operations.

Analysts warn the consequences could persist long after any ceasefire. "These things can accumulate momentum in Trump's mind within the MAGA community," Samir Puri, a visiting lecturer on war studies at King's College London, told Al Jazeera. "The bond of NATO weakens further."

Finland's President Alexander Stubb posted on X Wednesday that he had spoken with Trump and described their discussion as "constructive." The post signaled that at least some NATO leaders are working back-channels to prevent a full break.

For now, the alliance is intact on paper. Whether it remains so once the Iran war concludes — and what Trump does in a primetime address to the nation Wednesday night — is the question that has European capitals and NATO headquarters in Brussels watching closely.

Key Facts

• Trump told The Telegraph and Reuters on April 1 he is "absolutely" considering U.S. withdrawal from NATO
• He called the alliance a "paper tiger" and said allies "weren't there for us" during the Iran war
• Spain, Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Poland, and Greece have all declined to join operations or allow use of bases for the Iran war
• Secretary of State Rubio said the NATO relationship will need to be "reexamined" after the war
• U.S. law (NDAA FY2024) requires a two-thirds Senate vote or congressional act for NATO withdrawal; Trump cannot act unilaterally
• The NATO Treaty itself requires one year's written notice before a member can exit
• Brent crude peaked at $126/barrel after Iran's near-shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz; the ECB warns of eurozone stagflation
• Trump is scheduled to address the nation Wednesday night; he previewed NATO criticism in his Reuters interview