WASHINGTON — Donald Trump on Tuesday described the decision of most North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to stay out of U.S. military operations in Iran as a “very foolish mistake,” as the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign enters its third week.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said allied nations had informed the United States that they did not wish to be directly involved in the conflict, despite expressing general support for the objectives of Washington and Israel. “I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake… Everyone agrees with us, but they don’t want to help,” he said.
Despite his criticism, Trump indicated that he has no immediate plans to retaliate against NATO members for their stance. “Nothing currently in mind,” he said when asked about possible consequences.
The remarks were made during the White House visit of Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin for St. Patrick’s Day.
Trump also called on allied nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage through which around 20% of the world’s oil supply is transported. The appeal follows Iran’s response to U.S.-Israeli strikes, which has involved drones, missiles, and naval mines that have effectively disrupted tanker traffic in the area.
However, several U.S. allies have said they have no immediate plans to deploy naval forces to assist in reopening the strait, effectively declining Trump’s request for military support.
In a separate post on social media, Trump asserted that the United States no longer “needs” NATO assistance due to what he described as its military success, adding that it “never did.” He also referenced countries outside NATO, including Japan, Australia, and South Korea.
Trump has previously raised the possibility of withdrawing the United States from NATO, though he did not revisit that position in his latest remarks. Analysts continue to monitor how the lack of broader allied participation could affect the trajectory of the conflict in the Middle East.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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