US President Donald Trump has taken aim at several of America’s closest allies, calling them out by name for sitting on the sidelines during the war with Iran. Speaking at a White House press conference on Monday, Trump named specific nations he believes failed to step up when it mattered most. His remarks extended beyond the battlefield, touching on longstanding military commitments and the future of one of the world’s most powerful alliances.
Donald Trump slams US allies over lack of help in Iran war
US President Donald Trump has slammed several allied nations for refusing to assist with the war in Iran, CNN reports.
“Japan didn’t help us, Australia didn’t help us, South Korea didn’t help us, and then you get to NATO — NATO didn’t help us,” Trump said at a White House news conference Monday.
Trump highlighted existing US military commitments to those nations, noting America stations 50,000 troops in Japan and 45,000 in South Korea. He separately praised several Persian Gulf nations for their involvement, naming Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait as having performed “excellently.”
Trump also declared NATO a “paper tiger” after multiple alliance members closed their airspace or military bases to US forces. “We didn’t need them, obviously, because they haven’t helped at all,” he said, shrugging off the possibility of America relinquishing its leadership role within the alliance. Trump connected the rift to his push to acquire Greenland, saying, “It all began with, if you want to know the truth, Greenland.”
The remarks came during a wide-ranging press conference in which Trump also addressed his Tuesday 8:00 PM Eastern deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He confirmed that negotiations are ongoing, describing Iran as “an active, willing participant” in talks to end the war. Trump said Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner are all engaged with intermediary nations.
Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey have each acted as mediators between Washington and Tehran, though indirect talks stalled last week. Trump warned that the US has the capability to demolish every Iranian bridge and power plant within four hours, but added, “We don’t want that to happen.”
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
