U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized NATO, calling the alliance “COWARDS” as he stepped up pressure on allies over their refusal to back Washington’s initiative to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a key maritime artery that has been closed since the start of the war with Iran.
He accused U.S. partners and the world’s largest trading economies of ignoring his calls to deploy naval vessels to escort tankers and ensure safe passage through the narrow strait, which carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies. The situation has heightened instability in energy markets and driven up oil and gas prices.
On Friday, March 20, Trump wrote on social media: “Without the United States, NATO is a PAPER TIGER! They refused to join the fight against a nuclear Iran. Now that this fight has been MILITARILY WON and poses almost no danger to them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, yet do not want to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a simple military operation that is the sole reason for these prices.”
Despite the conflict entering its third week and Iran’s retaliatory strikes against neighboring countries, Trump continues to insist that the risks of military involvement remain minimal.
“For them, it is so simple and almost without risk,” he said of NATO countries. “COWARDS—and we will REMEMBER that!”
These statements underscore the alliance’s difficult position, which had already come under criticism from Trump for insufficient contributions to collective security. NATO is now forced to balance efforts to maintain Washington’s support with a new surge in geopolitical tensions—against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Trump is pressing for a swift end to that conflict, at times sidelining European allies from the diplomatic process and advancing concessions to Kyiv that have raised concern within the alliance.