President Donald Trump said he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO, escalating tensions with allies after they declined to join his administration’s efforts in the Iran conflict.
“I was never swayed by NATO,” Trump told The Daily Telegraph, adding that reconsidering U.S. participation was “beyond consideration.”
The president, who has long criticized the alliance, went further — calling NATO a “paper tiger” and suggesting adversaries already see it that way.
“I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way,” Trump said.
The remarks come as European allies reportedly declined a U.S. request to send naval forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply flows.
Iran has threatened or taken steps to restrict access to the strait in response to U.S. strikes, raising fears of disruptions to global energy markets.
Trump framed the lack of allied support as a breach of expectation.
“Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe,” he said. “I just think it should be automatic.”
“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine… They weren’t there for us.”
The president also took aim at the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, criticizing Britain’s military capabilities and absence from the conflict.
“You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” Trump said.
Starmer pushed back, reaffirming Britain’s commitment to NATO.
“It is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen,” he said, adding he would act in the U.K.’s national interest regardless of outside pressure.
The comments mark one of the sharpest public breaks yet between the U.S. and its traditional allies during the Iran conflict.
More over at The New York Post:
Trump 'strongly considering' pulling US out of NATO over Iran, alliance a 'paper tiger': report https://t.co/I94EhiNW31 pic.twitter.com/8vtIN6cYdL
— New York Post (@nypost) April 1, 2026
