Trump Questions NATO Commitment

(MENAFN) President Donald Trump revealed that he is weighing the possibility of withdrawing the United States from NATO after member nations declined to back military action against Iran, as reported by a media outlet on Wednesday. During a discussion with the publication, Trump described the alliance as a “paper tiger,” indicating that leaving the long-standing defense pact is now a serious consideration rather than a distant idea.

When questioned about whether he might reassess US participation in the alliance following the conflict, Trump made it clear that the matter goes further than simple reconsideration. He emphasized that his stance has remained consistent, expressing longstanding skepticism toward NATO’s strength and effectiveness.

“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way,” he said.

NATO partners have appeared hesitant to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping passage responsible for transporting roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Iran has managed to keep the strait effectively shut for several weeks, interrupting global energy distribution, increasing oil and gas costs, and heightening fears of an international economic downturn.

Trump further noted that the absence of allied backing is difficult to understand. “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.”

He added that the United States has historically offered automatic support to its allies, referencing situations such as Ukraine. “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,” the president said.

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