Trump Tells NATO Allies They 'Let Down' the US Over Iran War at Tense White House Meeting

"We were let down" — Trump's complaint to NATO's top diplomat

President Donald Trump told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday that the United States had been abandoned by its European allies during the Iran war, issuing a public rebuke just two weeks before the NATO summit in Ankara.apnews "We demolished them literally in the first week," Trump said of Iran at the Oval Office meeting, "but it would have been nice if they would have said, 'We'd like to help.'"aljazeera +1 Pressed on what allies could do to repair the relationship, Trump distilled his demand to one word: "Just be loyal."apnews

A charm offensive that only partly landed

Rutte, making his fifth White House visit since Trump returned to power, arrived with three easel-mounted charts celebrating the "Trump Trillion" — the cumulative extra defense spending European NATO members have committed since 2017.apnews He attributed the surge directly to Trump's pressure and called him "the leader of the free world."aljazeera But the flattery had limits. When Rutte pushed back — telling Trump that "generally speaking, your European allies have been there with you" and pointing to 4,000–5,000 U.S. sorties that flew from European bases during the conflict — Trump did not appear moved.aljazeera +1 "If I would've called him, he probably would have found a way to help if we needed it," the president said, referring to Rutte while leaving the implication that other allies had failed a basic test of partnership.apnews

The Iran war's toll on the alliance

The fracture has been building since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, a campaign Trump did not consult NATO allies about beforehand.france24 Many European governments voiced skepticism about the war's legality; none committed military forces when Trump called on the alliance to send ships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.aljazeera Iran's foreign ministry responded to Rutte's comments by accusing NATO of "active complicity" in what it called an "unlawful war of aggression."france24 The Pentagon is now conducting a six-month review of U.S. troop levels in Europe — a signal that Washington may reduce its presence if allies do not meet its expectations.apnews

Stakes at the Ankara summit

The July 7–8 summit is the first NATO leaders' meeting since the Iran war, and the first in which European allies will confront Trump directly over their wartime conduct.france24 +1 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that the summit should signal Europe will "do our part" once conditions support an Iran peace deal, while French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of "a moment of reconvergence between Europeans and Americans."apnews Whether that framing survives Ankara depends on whether the alliance can show enough movement on spending and burden-sharing to satisfy a president who has already suggested his attendance is primarily a personal favor to Turkish President Erdoğan — not a ringing endorsement of NATO itself.france24 +1