Trump Threatened to Pull the US Out of NATO Over Iran War Support — Here Is How Serious He Is

Trump told the Telegraph he could pull the US out of NATO because European allies won't support the Iran war. Here is how credible this threat is and what it would mean for global security.

President Trump told Britain's The Telegraph newspaper that he could attempt to pull the United States from the NATO alliance, citing his specific frustration with European allies' refusal to support US-Israeli military operations in Iran. Trump complained specifically about Australia, Britain, and European nations: 'Australia was not great. I was a little surprised by Australia,' he said during a White House cabinet meeting. His envoy had previously told European allies they need to 'take care of their own security.'

For the specific legal and procedural challenge: Trump cannot unilaterally withdraw the US from NATO under current law — Congress passed the NATO Support Act in 2024 specifically requiring legislative approval for any withdrawal. Whether that legislation would survive the specific constitutional challenge that a determined administration could mount is the legal question whose answer is unclear.

For the European reaction: the CBS News live blog confirmed that Trump was venting 'frustration at America's closest allies for declining to join the US-Israeli war on Iran.' The specific British response — Keir Starmer's government has said 'this is not our war' while simultaneously hosting US military forces, deploying aircraft in defensive roles, and sending HMS Prince of Wales to advanced readiness — represents the particular British calibration of maintaining the relationship while not endorsing the campaign.

For the 35-country coalition: Starmer separately confirmed that 35 countries have signed a statement committing to work on restoring maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz — the specific multilateral diplomatic response to the crisis whose 35-country composition is broader than the US-Israel bilateral campaign.

For the NATO threat's specific credibility: Trump's specific frustration with European allies is genuine and longstanding, and his specific willingness to use the alliance as leverage has been consistent across both terms. Whether the specific legal and diplomatic obstacles create sufficient friction to prevent withdrawal, or whether a determined administration could navigate around them, is the particular policy question that NATO allies are urgently assessing.