US President Donald Trump on Friday sharply escalated his rhetoric against Iran while lashing out at NATO allies, calling Tehran a “lunatic nation” and claiming it had been “militarily decimated” amid the ongoing conflict in the Gulf.
Speaking at an investment forum in Miami, Trump also reiterated his frustration over what he described as a lack of support from Western allies in securing the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, warning that Washington may reconsider its commitments to them in the future.
“They just weren't there,” he said. “We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, hundreds, protecting them, and we would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we?”
Also read: Trump says 'we don't have to be there for NATO'
“Why would we be there for them if they're not there for us? They weren't there for us,” he added.
Trump’s remarks come as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for global oil and gas shipments — has slowed to a near standstill following Iranian threats and attacks, triggering a spike in global energy prices.
Since the start of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran a month ago, Trump has repeatedly criticised allied nations for failing to commit military resources to secure the waterway, despite mounting risks to global energy supplies.
Six major powers, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have indicated willingness to “contribute to appropriate efforts,” but have stopped short of deploying forces or making concrete commitments.
Iran-US war: Better get serious before it's too late, says Trump
Trump has directed some of his strongest criticism at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, questioning its value without US backing. Last week, he described fellow members as “COWARDS” and dismissed the alliance as a “paper tiger” in the absence of American leadership.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump wrote that the United States “needs nothing from NATO,” adding that “NATO nations have done absolutely nothing to help with the lunatic nation, now militarily decimated, of Iran.”
Speaking at an investment forum in Miami, Trump also reiterated his frustration over what he described as a lack of support from Western allies in securing the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, warning that Washington may reconsider its commitments to them in the future.
“They just weren't there,” he said. “We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, hundreds, protecting them, and we would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we?”
Also read: Trump says 'we don't have to be there for NATO'
“Why would we be there for them if they're not there for us? They weren't there for us,” he added.
Trump’s remarks come as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for global oil and gas shipments — has slowed to a near standstill following Iranian threats and attacks, triggering a spike in global energy prices.
Since the start of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran a month ago, Trump has repeatedly criticised allied nations for failing to commit military resources to secure the waterway, despite mounting risks to global energy supplies.
Six major powers, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have indicated willingness to “contribute to appropriate efforts,” but have stopped short of deploying forces or making concrete commitments.
Iran-US war: Better get serious before it's too late, says Trump
Trump has directed some of his strongest criticism at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, questioning its value without US backing. Last week, he described fellow members as “COWARDS” and dismissed the alliance as a “paper tiger” in the absence of American leadership.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump wrote that the United States “needs nothing from NATO,” adding that “NATO nations have done absolutely nothing to help with the lunatic nation, now militarily decimated, of Iran.”
