US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that President Donald Trump is disappointed with NATO allies for their refusal to become more actively involved in military operations against Iran, setting the stage for a potentially contentious alliance summit in July.
Rubio's Remarks at NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting
Speaking to journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, on Friday, Rubio emphasized that the rift would be discussed at the upcoming July summit in Ankara, making it "one of the more important" gatherings in NATO's 77-year history.
"The president's views – frankly, disappointment – at some of our NATO allies and their response to our operations in the Middle East, they are well documented," Rubio said upon arrival. "That will have to be addressed. That won't be solved or addressed today. That's something for the leaders level to discuss."
His comments came amid fresh US demands for assistance in forcing open the Strait of Hormuz if peace talks with Iran fail to progress.
Potential NATO Role in Strait of Hormuz
After the meeting, Rubio revealed that he discussed the possibility of NATO countries providing military help. "We have to have a plan B for if someone is shooting, then how do you reopen the straits?" he asked. "I don't know if that would be a NATO mission necessarily, but it would certainly be NATO countries that can contribute to it."
The UK and France have offered to lead a multinational air and naval force to maintain security for merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz once the US and Iran reach a peace deal or establish a well-defined ceasefire.
US Troop Reductions in Europe
Rubio also indicated that US troop numbers in Europe are expected to drop from 80,000 following a review that reflects wider global commitments, although the exact scale of the reduction remains unclear amid contradictory statements from the White House.
"I think it's well understood in the alliance that the United States' troop presence in Europe is going to be adjusted," Rubio said after the foreign ministers' meeting, stressing that the US had been consulting European NATO members. "I'm not saying they're going to be thrilled about it, but they certainly are aware of it, and you know, we have obligations in the Indo-Pacific, we have obligations in the Middle East, we have obligations in the western hemisphere."
Earlier this month, the US announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany, following Trump's angry reaction to comments by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Iran was humiliating the US in peace talks. Last week, the Pentagon added that it would halt the rotation of 4,000 troops into Poland, only for Trump to seemingly reverse that decision on Thursday night via social media, in a hasty announcement that appeared to catch the Pentagon off guard.
Trump posted: "Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland."
Allied Confusion Over US Policy
Other NATO allies admitted that erratic White House policy changes left them struggling to keep up. Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard described the situation as "confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate."
Rubio said after the meeting that while he had "long been an advocate for NATO," one of his arguments was that US "bases in the region" had provided the military with "logistical options that we wouldn't otherwise have." He added, "When some of those bases are denied to you during a conflict that we're involved in, then you question whether that value is still there," a topic he said would be discussed at the Ankara summit.
Allied Support During Iran Conflict
No other NATO member joined the 38-day attack on Iran or has so far proven willing to force open the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed by an Iranian blockade, though some countries provided a degree of assistance. Spain refused to allow US bases in the country or its airspace to be used for the attack on Iran, while France only permitted air tankers and other support aircraft to operate from the Istres air base in the south. The UK allowed the US Air Force to bomb Iranian missile launchers and other military assets obstructing the strait from Fairford in Gloucestershire, the furthest any European country was willing to go in enabling US bombing.
Earlier this year, Trump also demanded Greenland from Denmark, another NATO member, though he dropped the proposal after international lobbying and an agreement to create an Arctic air patrol mission to deter any Russian military activity.
