US President Donald Trump once again voiced frustration with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation because its member states have not joined the US–Israel war against Iran. Speaking in the Oval Office during his meeting with NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte on 24 June, Trump said: “We don’t need help at all. We defeated them in the first week. But it would be better if they said they wanted to help.”
Trump said he would discuss the matter further with Rutte behind closed doors. “We will discuss what happened, and we will see what comes,” he said.
The meeting came just two weeks before the annual NATO summit, scheduled for 7 July in Ankara, Turkey. Rutte is considered sympathetic to Trump, and critics say the White House visit was an attempt to appease the US president.
Trump praised Rutte as a “terrific person, great leader, outstanding secretary‑general”, adding: “If anyone else were in that position, we wouldn’t even be meeting today, to be honest, because we have been disappointed.”
During the meeting, Rutte presented a series of charts showing increased defence spending by NATO members. He also praised the US strikes on Iran, calling Trump the “leader of the free world”. “This is first and foremost about the nuclear capability that Iran holds – it would be a threat to the entire world,” Rutte said.
However, there is no evidence that Iran was preparing to build nuclear weapons when the US and Israel launched attacks on 28 February, sparking the war. Many experts have criticised the military campaign as unjustified and a violation of international law.
Earlier this week, US and Iranian delegations met in Switzerland to negotiate a provisional ceasefire memorandum signed on 17 June. One of the main sticking points remains control of the Strait of Hormuz – a vital artery for global trade, including oil and gas. Since March, Iran has blockaded the strait, and Trump has called on NATO allies to send forces to protect the waterway.
Although no NATO ally has committed military forces, Rutte insisted that Europe has provided support in other ways. He pointed out that European military bases have played a central role in the war: “When you look at the figures, 4,000 to 5,000 US aircraft have taken off from bases in Europe during the six weeks of war.” He acknowledged Trump’s frustration but argued that it concerned isolated cases.
Trump appeared unimpressed but still praised Rutte’s role: “I think if I called him, he would probably find a way to help if we needed it.”
The US–Israel war against Iran has killed thousands of Iranian civilians and temporarily displaced millions of people.
