President Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House Wednesday as the US weighs withdrawing from the transatlantic alliance over European allies' refusal to support American military operations against Iran.
The closed-door meeting lasted approximately two hours and came one day after Washington and Tehran agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had threatened to strike Iranian power plants and bridges before the deal was reached.
It's something the president has discussed, and I think it's something the president will be discussing in a couple of hours with Secretary-General Rutte.
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary — Daily Sabah
Trump's frustration with NATO centers on allies' rejection of his calls for military support in the Persian Gulf. European members closed their airspace to US operations, denied access to military bases for strikes against Iran, and refused to send naval vessels to secure the strategic waterway through which much of the world's oil exports pass.
The president has labeled NATO allies as cowards and dismissed the alliance as a "paper tiger" during recent weeks of escalating tensions with Iran. His criticism intensified after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, sending global gas prices soaring.
Frames the story as a diplomatic crisis testing transatlantic unity, emphasizing the procedural aspects of Trump's NATO threats and the institutional constraints he faces. Focuses on alliance stability rather than taking sides in the US-European dispute over Iran policy.