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Trump says NATO was not there during U.S. operations against Iran

28 March 2026 11:14 (UTC +04:00)

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday criticized NATO allies for what he described as a lack of support during ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran, stating that member countries “were not there” when assistance was requested, APA reports.

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative, Trump said the United States had sought support from NATO partners but did not receive timely commitments, according to remarks delivered at the event.

Trump said the lack of NATO support during the conflict represented a strategic misstep by the alliance. “I think that NATO made a terrible mistake when they wouldn’t send a small amount of military armament — when they wouldn’t even acknowledge what we were doing for the world and taking on Iran,” he said.

He also stated that the United States has historically borne a significant share of NATO’s defense expenditures. “We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, hundreds of billions 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 doing that, do we?” Trump said, adding that the alliance’s response could influence future U.S. commitments.