US President Donald Trump has hinted at a possible exit from NATO, calling the 77-year-old alliance a “paper tiger” and raising fresh concerns about the future of the transatlantic military bloc.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump stated that he had always known NATO was a “paper tiger,” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin knows it too, adding that leaving NATO was now “beyond reconsideration.”
Trump’s remarks come after NATO allies snubbed his demand to provide their bases to launch an attack on Iran. Notably, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that “this is not our war, and we are not going to be dragged into it.”
This is not the first time NATO countries have taken such a stance. Earlier, they also declined a US request to send troops to secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iran closed the narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The strait is a critical route through which approximately 20% to 25% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes every day. Iran had stated that it would not allow vessels from enemy countries to pass through it, though it currently allows friendly nations, including India, China, Russia, Iraq, and Pakistan, to use the strait for commercial shipping.
The Israel-US vs Iran war, now in its 33rd day, began after US and Israeli forces launched surprise coordinated airstrikes (Operation Epic Fury) on February 28, 2026. The conflict has triggered a global fuel crisis after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to enemy shipping.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran’s neighbour that did not take sides, is now considering assisting the US and Israel in their fight against Iran and helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing Arab officials.
Notably, the report also states that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are hardening their stance against Iran’s leadership, seeking a resolution that would weaken or remove the current regime, though they have not yet deployed any forces. Bahrain, a close US ally and host of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has expressed its support for the UN resolution, with a vote expected on Thursday.
This development comes as the United States military is drawing up plans for sustained ground operations inside Iran, potentially spanning several weeks, including a possible seizure of Kharg Island and strikes on coastal positions near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Washington Post report citing unnamed American officials. The plans, which involve special operations and conventional infantry units, have not yet received presidential approval, and a full-scale invasion is not on the table.
