The Trump administration is considering repositioning US troops away from certain NATO allies it deems unhelpful during the Iran war, ABC News has reported.
The US is weighing plans to reduce or relocate its military presence in some NATO member states that were seen as slow or unwilling to support its operations during the recent armed conflict with Iran, a US administration official said, according to the report on Thursday.
The official said the proposal would involve shifting American forces from countries viewed as less supportive to those that provided greater assistance during the conflict, the report added. It remains unclear how advanced the discussions are or which specific countries could be affected if the plan is implemented.
The consideration follows criticism from senior US officials over restrictions on the use of joint military bases in Europe during the conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio questioned the rationale behind maintaining troop deployments in allied countries if operational access is limited.
The issue of allied support was also raised by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who acknowledged that some member states were initially slow to respond, partly due to the unexpected nature of the war. However, he stressed that European allies ultimately played a crucial role in enabling US power projection.
Rutte also underscored NATO’s broader strategic value, describing the alliance as essential not only for European security but also for the defence of the US.
"And NATO is there, of course, to protect the Europeans, but also to protect the United States," he said.
Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration with NATO’s response to the Iran conflict. In a Truth Social post after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, he wrote: “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again.”
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt earlier said Trump believes NATO “was tested, and they failed” during the conflict. “It’s quite sad that NATO turned its back on the American people over the course of the last six weeks,” she said, “when it’s the American people who have been funding their defence.”
