Video: ‘No reciprocity’ – Trump blasts NATO over Strait of Hormuz snub
United States President Donald Trump
Abdullateef Fowewe
United States President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with NATO allies on Friday, accusing them of refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as U.S.-Iran hostilities enter their fourth week.
Speaking at a press event, Trump recounted a recent military “excursion” in Iran, claiming U.S. forces had “knocked the hell out of them” to protect global security.
“An amazing job. I had to do a little stopover — I call it an excursion. Had to do a little stopover in Iran and we had knocked the hell out of them because our country would not have been safe. The world wouldn’t be safe,” Trump said.
He argued the U.S. has done the world a “great favour” but received no reciprocity in return.
“I’ve done a great favour for the world but the world has not been reciprocal,” Trump stated, before turning his ire on NATO.
Referencing decades of American funding, he said, “Because when I told NATO, ‘We give billions and trillions over years. Do you mind coming up and giving us a little hand with the straits?’ Send up some — they didn’t want to get involved.”
Trump warned that the allies’ reluctance “is going to cost them dearly,” issuing what allies interpret as a “never forget” signal of potential U.S. withdrawal from the alliance.
The remarks come amid a U.S.-initiated war with Iran, triggered by a February 28 airstrike – conducted jointly with Israel – on an Iranian school that killed over 170 people, mostly girls.
The attack drew global condemnation and has led NATO partners to hesitate on involvement, citing the alliance’s Article 5 defensive clause, which applies to attacks on member states.
NATO data shows U.S. defense spending reached 3.38% of GDP in 2025 – totaling about $886 billion annually and exceeding the 2% target – though Trump’s reference to “billions and trillions over years” appears to exaggerate cumulative contributions for emphasis.
