Trump Pressures NATO on Iran, Rhetoric to Allies Adds to Geopolitical Risk
US President Donald Trump again attacked NATO, questioning Washington's spending on the alliance and warning that member states that don't help the US in its war on Iran will face consequences. Trump said that if allies are "not with" the US on Iran, they won't be with the US on the "bigger" issue of Iran.
This statement comes as several member states are said to have refused to authorize the use of military bases for a preemptive strike on Iran and have not responded to US calls for help reopening the Strait of Hormuz—a vital oil and gas route effectively closed by Tehran and now under a US naval blockade targeting Iranian oil exports. Trump asserted that relations with countries that refuse to help "will never be the same."
Trump specifically singled out Italy. He called Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "negative" and said her stance is changing the US-Italy relationship, adding that Italy relies heavily on oil from the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also hinted that previously warm relations have become strained following Meloni's rejection of war and Trump's criticism of Catholic Church leaders over comments about US military operations.
Trump's rhetoric against NATO has reportedly escalated in recent weeks, including calling member states "cowards" and the alliance a "paper tiger." Trump also reiterated the possibility of the US leaving NATO and repeated complaints about Greenland. While leaving NATO requires Congressional approval, these statements heighten allies' concerns that US support for the alliance could weaken through other channels, including impacting Ukraine's efforts to strengthen its position against Russia.
For markets, overt pressure on NATO coherence adds another layer of geopolitical risk: potential policy friction among allies could prolong regional security uncertainty, impact coordination on energy routes like Hormuz, and maintain a risk premium on energy and safe-haven assets. Market participants will be monitoring official responses from NATO member states, signals of US policy regarding the blockade and Hormuz, and indications of whether these political tensions spill over into broader defense commitments and security coordination. (Arl)*
Source: Newsmaker.id
