Trump Rebukes NATO Over Iran War Support as Rutte Cites 4,000-5,000 US Flights From Europe
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 24
Trump Rebukes NATO Over Iran War Support as Rutte Cites 4,000-5,000 US Flights From Europe
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 24
Summary
At an Oval Office meeting, Donald Trump said NATO allies failed to back the US-Israel war on Iran, arguing Europe offered no meaningful support even though the US had "demolished" Iran in the first week.
Mark Rutte tried to blunt the criticism by praising the US strikes and pointing to European help through bases that launched 4,000 to 5,000 US flights during the six-week war.
Trump signaled the dispute would continue in private talks, saying NATO had "let down" the US, while still praising Rutte as the one leader who might have found a way to help.
The clash comes about two weeks before NATO's July 7 summit in Ankara, with Rutte under pressure to steady ties as Trump again questions the alliance's value.
The argument follows months of tension over Iran, including Trump's March demand that allies help guard the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing US-Iran ceasefire talks after the June 17 memorandum.