Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted NATO allies as “foolish” for failing to back Washington’s Iran strikes, even as he defended the operation during talks with Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheal Martin.
Meeting Michael Martin at the Oval Office, Trump said the US acted decisively against Iran and did not require allied support, even as he questioned NATO’s response.
“Well, we don’t need too much help, and we don’t need any help actually,” Trump said. “This is a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.”
He said NATO allies backed the action in principle but failed to contribute. “I was surprised to see that NATO, while they agreed that it was a very important thing to do… when they say it was a threat, but we’re not gonna help, I think they’re very foolish.”
Trump argued the US operation had effectively dismantled Iran’s military capability. “We’ve wiped out their navy, wiped out their military of every aspect. Their Air Force is now decimated,” he said, adding, “they have no air force, no navy, they have no radar.”
He reiterated that the objective was to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “They would have had a nuclear weapon within one month,” Trump said, adding, “Iran was a tremendous threat.”
At the same time, he praised the support from regional partners. “We’ve had great support from the Middle East,” he said, naming Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, and adding, “Israel’s been very, very strong… It’s been a very strong collaboration.”
On Ukraine, Trump questioned US spending and allied contributions. “We didn’t have to be there for Ukraine,” he said. “We’re probably in there for $400 billion… we helped them, and they didn’t help us.”
He also confirmed that a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is being rescheduled. “We’re resetting the meeting, and it looks like it’ll take place in about five weeks,” Trump said. “We have a good relationship with China.”
Turning to Cuba, Trump said the administration is considering further action. “Cuba right now is in very bad shape… We’ll be doing something with Cuba,” he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said structural change was essential. “If you have an economy that doesn’t work… they have to change dramatically,” he said, adding, “What they announced yesterday is not dramatic enough.”
Vice President JD Vance highlighted ongoing threats in the region. “There have been a lot of militia attacks against our base… and we’ve got to eliminate them when we find them,” he said, adding that such groups “can’t” be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Martin, seeking to strike a conciliatory tone, underscored the importance of US-Europe ties. “The transatlantic relationship between Europe and the US is very, very important,” he said, adding that despite tensions, “we can get a landing zone again.”
He agreed that Iran posed a serious risk but stressed the need for diplomacy. “You cannot have a rogue state with a nuclear weapon,” Martin said, while adding, “What we want is a peaceful resolution of conflict.”
The meeting highlighted differences in tone between Washington and European leaders on Iran and NATO, even as both sides reiterated the importance of the transatlantic partnership.
NATO, formed in 1949, remains the central military alliance linking North America and Europe, though burden-sharing and strategic priorities have long been points of friction. Iran’s nuclear programme and regional role have similarly been a persistent source of tension, with the US favouring a more forceful approach and European nations often emphasising diplomacy.
(IANS)
