Administration

Rubio: ‘Value of NATO’ will have to be reexamined after Iran war

by Sophie Brams - 04/01/26 7:50 AM ET

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Tuesday that the U.S. will reexamine its relationship with NATO after the conflict with Iran ends, echoing criticism from President Trump toward European allies who have been reluctant to join the military operation in the Middle East.

“Ultimately, that’s a decision for the President to make, and he’ll have to make it,” Rubio told host Sean Hannity during an appearance on Fox News.

“But I do think, unfortunately, we are going to have to re-examine whether or not this Alliance that has served this country well for a while is still serving that purpose, or is it now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our Allies, they’re going to deny us basing rights and they’re going to deny us overflight,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at longtime U.S. allies in recent weeks over their reluctance to deploy military assets into the conflict, with security for the Strait of Hormuz at the center of his pressure campaign.

Some NATO countries — the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands — signaled a “readiness to contribute” to efforts to reopen the critical oil shipping channel, they have resisted calls to send warships or join the war in a broader capacity.

Some nations, including Italy and Spain, have also blocked the use of their bases for U.S. aircraft involved in “Operation Epic Fury” and others, including Spain and France, have reportedly restricted airspace.

Their resistance has frustrated Trump, who again called the alliance a “paper tiger” in an interview with The Telegraph published early Wednesday.

“Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin knows that too, by the way,” Trump told the British newspaper, when asked whether he would reconsider U.S. membership in NATO after the conflict.

Following the president’s comments, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended NATO as “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.”

Trump warned Tuesday that European countries could soon be on their own, as oil prices surge globally amid the turmoil.

“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” he wrote in a Truth Social post, referring to countries “which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran.”

“Iran has been, essentially, decimated,” the president continued later. “The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”

Trump is set to give an update on the ongoing conflict with Iran during a primetime address Wednesday evening, according to the White House.

Rubio told Hannity on Tuesday that the U.S. was “very close” to achieving its objectives, suggesting the conflict was nearing its end.

“I don’t want to put a timeline on it, but we can see the finish line, the finish line meaning we will have achieved all of the objectives that the President outlined,” he said, again echoing similar comments made by Trump earlier this month.

“And those are important because if we achieve those objectives we will make it nearly impossible for Iran to have a nuclear weapon anytime in the near future,” the secretary of state added.

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