Trump considers US exit from NATO: 'It's a paper tiger, even Putin knows it'

US President Donald Trump said he is strongly considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after the alliance declined to support his military campaign against Iran.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump said the possibility of leaving the alliance was now "beyond reconsideration" and described NATO as a "paper tiger", reflecting a sharp shift in Washington's view of its European partners.

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"Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration," he said when asked if he would revisit US membership. "I was never swayed by Nato. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way."

The remarks come days after a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, where the United States had urged allies to deploy warships to reopen the key shipping route after Iran effectively blocked it.

NATO members have been reluctant to join the effort, despite the Strait carrying around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and its closure pushing up global energy prices. Trump said the lack of support from allies had reinforced his position on the alliance.

"Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey’, you know, I didn’t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic."

"We've been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us."

Trump has been pressing NATO allies to send warships to secure Hormuz, a key sealane blocked by Tehran. However, the allies, including the UK, have not shown any interest, citing risks. 

In a Truth Social post on March 19, Trump said: "Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn't want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear-Powered Iran. Now that the fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!"