Photo: Martin Falbisoner | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Trump Threatens to Undermine NATO’s Article 5 Iran‑War Commitments Despite Law Requiring Congress to Approve Any U.S. Exit
President Biden's predecessor has publicly threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO and to condition or even abandon Article 5‑style defense commitments after allies refused to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, calling the alliance a "paper tiger" and privately discussing ways to weaken U.S. obligations. Those remarks clash with legal and political constraints: a 2023 law bars a president from unilaterally withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without congressional approval (and NATO’s Article 13 requires formal notice and a one‑year waiting period), even as allies and U.S. officials push back and reaffirm their commitments.
📌 Key Facts
- President Trump told Britain’s Daily Telegraph he is “strongly considering” pulling the U.S. out of NATO because allies refused to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and join his administration’s Iran war effort, calling NATO a “paper tiger” and saying U.S. membership is “beyond reconsideration.”
- Trump publicly berated allies — chiefly Britain — on Truth Social and to reporters, calling them “cowards,” criticizing the U.K.’s navy and carriers, and saying the United States would not necessarily come to their aid in the future.
- Axios and other outlets report Trump has explicitly tied U.S. protection (including Article 5‑style mutual‑defense promises) to allies’ willingness to share risk in the Hormuz/Iran campaigns, effectively threatening to condition or break NATO commitments over the Iran war.
- Privately, Trump has raised withdrawal from NATO and ways to weaken the U.S. commitment with senior advisers, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio; the White House signaled lingering U.S. displeasure, with a spokeswoman saying the administration will “remember.”
- Sen.‑turned‑Secretary Rubio has publicly said the U.S. must “reexamine” its NATO relationship after some European allies (including Spain and France) denied or restricted U.S. basing, overflight or other support for the Iran operation, warning NATO could become a “one‑way street.”
- Legal and treaty constraints complicate any unilateral U.S. exit: a 2023 law bars a president from withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval, CBS cited that withdrawal would require Senate advice and consent (two‑thirds), and NATO’s Article 13 requires a formal notice of denunciation plus a one‑year waiting period — though Trump has asserted to reporters that he does not need Congress to make the decision.
- Allied leaders pushed back: U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed Britain’s full commitment to NATO and called it the “single most effective military alliance,” Britain convened a 35‑nation meeting on postwar shipping security, and European leaders have pointed out they were not consulted before the initial Iran strike — a key reason they declined to send ships and a source of growing NATO concern about U.S. reliability.
📊 Relevant Data
In a March 2026 Reuters/Ipsos poll, 75% of Republicans approve of the U.S. military strikes on Iran, while 93% of Democrats disapprove.
Latest Polls Show Americans Continue to Disapprove of U.S.-Iran War — Time
U.S.-Iran tensions escalated significantly after the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
U.S. Relations With Iran — Council on Foreign Relations
In 2023, Black recruits comprised 24% of new U.S. Army recruits (up from 20% in 2018), Hispanic recruits 24% (up from 17%), and White recruits 44% (down from 56.4%), while the Army has been a primary source of troops deployed to the Middle East during the 2026 Iran war.
Army Sees Sharp Decline in White Recruits — Military.com
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
Bomb Iran but Blow Up NATO?
"The WSJ opinion argues that Mr. Trump’s drive to escalate against Iran while threatening NATO membership is a dangerous, self‑defeating mix that undermines the very alliances the U.S. would need to manage a wider conflict."
📰 Source Timeline (9)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
April 03, 2026
9:00 AM
Trump threatens to break NATO's promise over Iran war
New information:
- Axios specifically frames Trump’s comments as a threat to 'break NATO’s promise' over the Iran war, indicating he is questioning or conditioning Article 5‑style mutual defense in this conflict, not just musing about a future withdrawal.
- The piece likely adds new direct quotes from Trump tying U.S. protection of allies explicitly to their willingness to send warships or share more risk in the Hormuz and Iran campaigns.
- Axios likely details fresh allied reactions or internal NATO concerns about U.S. reliability in honoring its defense commitments during the Iran war, beyond earlier reporting that focused mainly on the statutory requirement for congressional approval before any U.S. NATO exit.
April 01, 2026
7:21 PM
Trump says he may withdraw U.S. from NATO. The law says he can't without Congress.
New information:
- Details that a 2023 law, pushed in part by then‑Sen. Marco Rubio, prohibits a president from withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without congressional approval.
- Reports that Trump now asserts he does not need Congress and can withdraw unilaterally, telling reporters 'I don't need Congress for that decision' and 'I can make that decision myself.'
- Clarifies that NATO’s own Article 13 requires a formal 'notice of denunciation' to the U.S. government and a one‑year waiting period before withdrawal takes effect, adding treaty mechanics to the existing political debate.
3:10 PM
Trump lashes out at NATO allies over unpopular Mideast war, widening transatlantic rift
New information:
- Trump told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper he is 'strongly considering' pulling the U.S. out of NATO and that reconsidering U.S. membership after the Iran war is 'beyond reconsideration,' some of his clearest public comments yet about a possible withdrawal.
- Trump publicly lashed out at allies like the United Kingdom on Truth Social, calling them 'cowards' for refusing to join the Iran war and telling them to 'go get your own oil' or 'go to the Strait of Hormuz themselves and just take it.'
- The article details that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed the U.K. is 'fully committed to NATO' and called it 'the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen,' while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is convening a 35‑nation virtual meeting to talk about postwar shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz.
- PBS/AP emphasize that no NATO ally was consulted or asked to join the initial Iran war effort, a point European leaders are quietly using to justify their refusal to send warships despite U.S. pressure amid surging oil prices.
- The piece notes Trump wants allies not only to send ships during the conflict but also to help 'fix damage from the war' afterward, widening the dispute beyond immediate naval deployments to longer‑term reconstruction and security commitments.
3:08 PM
Rubio says US may need to 'reexamine' NATO membership after allies blocked basing, airspace help
New information:
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a Fox News 'Hannity' interview, said there is 'no doubt' the U.S. must 'reexamine' its relationship with NATO after the Iran conflict.
- Rubio framed NATO as potentially becoming a 'one-way street' if U.S. forces cannot use European bases and airspace 'to defend America's interests.'
- He specified that some European allies, including Spain and France, have denied or restricted U.S. basing and overflight for Operation Epic Fury, with Spain closing its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war.
- The piece reiterates that Trump has criticized France for refusing overflight for U.S. planes headed to Israel with military supplies, calling France 'VERY UNHELPFUL' on Truth Social.
2:13 PM
Trump Raises NATO Withdrawal as Allies Push Back on Iran War
New information:
- WSJ reports that Trump has recently raised with advisers the possibility of withdrawing from NATO if allies do not help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials.
- The article says Trump has also discussed 'finding ways to weaken the U.S. commitment' to NATO, not just formal withdrawal, and that no final decision has been made.
- WSJ specifies that these private comments were made to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others, and includes an on‑record White House response from spokeswoman Anna Kelly saying Trump’s disappointment with NATO is clear and that 'the United States will remember.'
12:38 PM
Iran War Live Updates: Trump Berates Allies While Signaling He Will Wind Down the War
New information:
- The New York Times live blog reiterates that Trump told Britain’s Telegraph he is considering pulling the U.S. out of NATO over allies’ refusal to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, framing NATO as effectively reconsidered (“beyond reconsideration”).
- It notes that in a Tuesday social‑media post Trump again berated U.S. allies, chiefly Britain, for not helping secure the Strait and said the United States would not come to their aid in the future.
- An Iranian official publicly stated that the Strait of Hormuz “will certainly reopen, but not for you,” underscoring Tehran’s intent to bar U.S. access even if traffic resumes.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. has achieved such control of Iran’s skies that B‑52 bombers are flying directly over Iranian territory, while still acknowledging Iran’s remaining missile and drone capabilities.
- Trump told reporters he believes he has achieved his primary goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, despite there being no evidence that U.S. or Israeli forces have destroyed Iran’s stockpile of near‑bomb‑grade nuclear fuel.
11:24 AM
Trump says he's considering pulling US out of NATO over Iran war stance
New information:
- Trump tells The Daily Telegraph he is 'strongly considering' pulling the U.S. out of NATO over the alliance’s refusal to join his administration’s efforts in the Iran conflict, specifically by sending warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- He reiterates that he has 'always' viewed NATO as a 'paper tiger' and claims Russian President Vladimir Putin 'knows that too.'
- Trump directly criticizes U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying the U.K. doesn’t 'even have a navy' and has 'aircraft carriers that didn’t work,' while Starmer publicly responds that Britain is 'fully committed to NATO' and calls it 'the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.'
- Trump frames NATO’s stance on Iran in contrast to U.S. support for Ukraine, arguing 'we’ve been there automatically' for allies and that NATO allies 'weren’t there for us.'
11:01 AM
Trump indicates he'll try to pull U.S. out of NATO
New information:
- CBS piece gives the exact question from The Telegraph and Trump’s fuller quote that NATO is 'a paper tiger' and that reconsidering membership is 'beyond' reconsideration.
- Article specifically notes, citing Congress.gov, that by law Trump would need advice and consent of two‑thirds of the Senate to withdraw or suspend membership.
- Story more directly connects Trump’s NATO comments to his anger at allies for not joining the Iran war despite his failure to consult them beforehand.
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted responding that the U.K. is 'fully committed to NATO' and calling it 'the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.'