Trump Threatens U.S. Withdrawal from 'Paper Tiger' NATO After Starmer Refuses Hormuz Support

Former President Donald Trump has escalated a direct threat to the NATO alliance, stating he is "strongly considering" pulling the United States out of the 77-year-old collective defense pact. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Trump branded NATO a "paper tiger," a decision he claims is now "beyond reconsideration." The threat follows a refusal by European allies, including the UK under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to join a U.S. military campaign against Iran or assist in reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Trump explicitly targeted the United Kingdom, mocking its naval capabilities and Starmer's domestic policy focus. "You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work," he stated, adding that "All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof." The comments frame the transatlantic rift as a direct consequence of European reluctance to support U.S. military action in the Persian Gulf, following Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The public threat from a leading U.S. presidential candidate to abandon NATO represents a profound strategic shock to the alliance's future. It signals intense pressure on European capitals to align with U.S. foreign policy objectives or risk the collapse of the foundational post-war security guarantee. The episode underscores how a potential second Trump administration could leverage security commitments to extract specific military cooperation, fundamentally testing alliance cohesion and Europe's strategic autonomy.