Trump Threatens NATO Exit Over Lack of Iran War Support

President Donald Trump threatened to withhold defense support from or withdraw the United States from NATO, citing a lack of loyalty from European allies during the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury. Trump specifically criticized the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain for failing to provide direct military support, such as guarding the Strait of Hormuz. He demanded that allies increase defense spending to 5% of their GDP, labeling some nations as free riders.

To manage these tensions, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with Trump at the White House on June 24. Rutte attempted to appease the president by praising his leadership and presenting data on the Trump Trillion—a $1.2 trillion increase in alliance defense spending since 2017. Rutte also argued that allies provided critical behind-the-scenes support, claiming 4,000 to 5,000 U.S. aircraft operated from European bases. These claims sparked a political crisis in Italy, where the government denied authorizing kinetic strike missions and insisted only technical and logistical support was provided.

Concurrent with these diplomatic efforts, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initiated a six-month review of the American military footprint in Europe, calling the alliance a paper tiger and accusing allies of endangering U.S. troops by restricting airspace access. Despite the friction, Trump confirmed his attendance at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, on July 7-8, where leaders will discuss burden-sharing and military aid for Ukraine. Trump also revealed he requested Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan remain neutral during the Iran conflict in exchange for potential military assets.