Mr. Trump’s growing anger with NATO

“They are no longer friends just when we need them,” US President Donald Trump said on April 1 in an interview with Reutersreferring to NATO. “We haven’t asked much from them. It’s truly a one-way street.”

Mr. Trump also announced that he would “definitely consider” the possibility of withdrawing the US from NATO, a military alliance that he believes does not bring many benefits to the US. As the Iran conflict dragged on, the US President became increasingly angry with his allies on the other side of the Atlantic.

On March 31, Mr. Trump said he intended to end US involvement in Iran in the next few weeks and would have “nothing to do” with long-term efforts to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz. This is a maritime lifeline that holds 20% of global oil supply but is being blocked by Iran.

“We will leave very soon. And if France or any other country wants oil or gas to go through the Strait of Hormuz, they can just go there and take care of it themselves,” he said.

Earlier that same day, the US President posted a fierce criticism on the social network Truth Social. He said that European countries should “gather some belated courage, go to the Strait of Hormuz and take back the oil themselves.”

“You will have to start learning to fight for yourself. America will not be there to help anymore, just like you were not there for us,” he wrote.

Hours later, Mr. Trump described NATO as a “paper tiger” and criticized the alliance for not participating in the war against Iran.

Mr. Trump also attacked France, an ally in the NATO military alliance. “France did not allow planes filled with military equipment heading to Israel to fly over its territory. They showed a very lack of willingness to help,” he said.

These statements show that the US President is increasingly frustrated with Europe’s reticence in the Iran conflict. He believes this means Washington should not help defend its allies in Europe because “they are not on our side.”

As Mr. Trump increases his criticism, European allies are also stepping up their response.

France said it allows the US to use bases for activities such as refueling but does not allow aircraft to directly participate in combat. The Elysee Palace said it was “surprised” by Mr. Trump’s post aimed directly at Paris and affirmed that “France has not changed its stance.”

France and Britain refused to participate in the US campaign to attack Iran, on the grounds that Mr. Trump did not consult them before launching the attack.

Britain also allows US bombers to use its bases, although it insists they are only used for defensive missions, such as strikes on Iranian military sites used to damage British interests.

Britain and France are working to assemble a coalition of up to 35 countries to help ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz after the conflict cools down. This effort could include deploying escort ships to protect oil tankers passing through the strait. Some ships may be equipped with anti-aircraft guns to shoot down Iranian drones or missiles.

Europe does not hide its concerns about the risk of the Iran conflict turning into a bloody war with no end in sight. And as conflict drives up energy prices, criticism from Europe becomes increasingly harsh.

German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz last month supported the US-Israeli attack on Iran. However, on March 27, he told the newspaper HE DOES that “I just don’t believe that what Israel and America are doing will actually lead to success”. Germany also only allows Washington to use bases or deploy military assets in response to Tehran’s retaliatory attacks.

In Italy, the US war in Iran has caused trouble for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as her close relationship with Mr. Trump is under scrutiny.

Italian voters on March 22 rejected a referendum on judicial reform, which was considered a measure of her support. Her administration has sought to distance itself from Mr. Trump amid public opposition to the conflict.

“Mr. Trump is the President of a country, elected with an overwhelming majority of votes. He follows his own path without listening to anyone but himself. We also follow our own path, not obeying anyone,” Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on March 30.

According to a senior Italian official, the country recently refused to grant landing permission to US fighter jets seeking to land at the Sigonella base in eastern Sicily. The decision was made after determining that these aircraft were related to the conflict in Iran.

In a statement on March 31, Ms. Meloni’s office did not confirm the incident but said each fighter landing request is carefully considered on a case-by-case basis “as has always been done.” They also denied there were tensions with Washington over the use of the base.

This information appeared one day after Spain’s Defense Minister announced that the country had strengthened its stance against the war. Madrid not only refused to allow US military aircraft participating in the attack on Iran to use bases on its territory, but also banned them from flying through its airspace.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who once did not receive much support in public opinion polls, found “new vitality” in politics when he led Europe’s resistance to the Iran conflict.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also questioned the commitment to NATO when mentioning Spain’s refusal to let US fighter jets use its airspace.

“If NATO is simply us defending Europe when they are attacked, and they refuse to let us use bases when needed, that is not a good partnership. That makes it difficult for people to continue to stick together and say this is beneficial to the United States. So all of these things will need to be reconsidered,” he said.

Vincenzo Camporini, former chief of staff of the Italian air force and currently a scientific advisor to the Institute of International Affairs, said Washington should not be surprised that its allies are hesitant to cooperate with it in the Iran war.

“I think this is related to the fact that the US launched the campaign without any consultation with its allies in NATO. They also did not consider having to notify allied countries,” Camporini said. “You can’t do that and then ask for support from other countries in NATO.”