Trump says NATO allies ‘let down’ US by not backing Iran war
Key takeaways
- Trump told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday he was disappointed that alliance members did not back the US military campaign against Iran, saying Washington had "demolished" Iran without needing assistance.
- By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in Switzerland, on January 21, 2026.
- We demolished (Iran) literally in the first week but it would have been nice if they would have said, 'We'd like to help,'" Trump said during a meeting with Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Trump told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday he was disappointed that alliance members did not back the US military campaign against Iran, saying Washington had "demolished" Iran without needing assistance. Rutte defended allies, noting that 4,000-5,000 US aircraft operated from bases in Europe during the conflict.
By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in Switzerland, on January 21, 2026. © Evan Vucci, AP file photo US President Donald Trump told NATO chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday he was "let down" by members of the transatlantic alliance who did not back his war against Iran.
"We were let down. We didn't need help on this at all. We demolished (Iran) literally in the first week but it would have been nice if they would have said, 'We'd like to help,'" Trump said during a meeting with Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House.