U.S. Abandons NATO Defense Pledge Amid Iran War
Addressing reporters at a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth stopped short of guaranteeing continued U.S. engagement with the alliance, deferring the ultimate decision to President Donald Trump while making clear that the Iran conflict had exposed deep fault lines within NATO.
"A lot has been shown to the world about what our allies would be willing to do for the US when we undertake an effort of this scope on behalf of the free world," Hegseth said. He contended that Iranian missiles posed no direct threat to American soil, but rather to Washington's "allies and others," who responded to requests for support with "questions, or roadblocks, or hesitations."
"The President is pointing out that you don't have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them," Hegseth said.
Trump Threatens NATO Exit; Rubio Signals Policy Review
The Pentagon chief's remarks were swiftly reinforced at the highest level. In an interview with The Telegraph published Wednesday, Trump confirmed he is actively weighing a full U.S. withdrawal from NATO should the bloc continue to withhold support for the Iran war effort, labelling the alliance a "paper tiger."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed those sentiments in a separate appearance on Fox News, warning that Washington would be compelled to "re-examine" its NATO membership once hostilities with Iran conclude. "If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they're attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that's not a very good arrangement. That's a hard one to stay engaged in," Rubio said.
European Members Push Back
A significant contingent of NATO member states has openly resisted the military campaign against Iran, with France and Spain among those explicitly refusing to participate or extend their bases and airspace for offensive operations — a position that has drawn repeated and escalating condemnation from Trump.
The U.S. president has publicly branded reluctant allies "cowards" on social media, while asserting that NATO was "a one-way street" and that the U.S. "no longer 'need[s]', or desire[s], the NATO countries' assistance."
The extraordinary public rift raises urgent questions about the future cohesion of the world's most powerful military alliance, as the Iran conflict increasingly functions as a litmus test for transatlantic solidarity.
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