“NATO is simply summarized by the presence of our troops in Europe to defend Europe,” declared the US Secretary of State, accusing several countries of refusing the American aviation overflight permission.
Marco Rubio at Le Bourget on March 27, 2026. (POOL / BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI)
It is an unprecedented challenge: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday, March 31st, that the United States should “reexamine” their relationship with NATO once the war against Iran is over. This statement comes after multiple attacks by Donald Trump.
“I think unfortunately there’s no doubt that once this conflict is over, we will need to reassess this relationship.
We will need to reassess the order that NATO presents for our country within the framework of this alliance”
, Rubio declared on Tuesday on the channel
Fox News
, adding that it would be up to President Donald Trump to make the final decision on this matter.
The United States reproached NATO countries including France, Spain, and Italy for not authorizing the overflight of their territories or using American bases to transport military equipment to Israel as part of the war against Iran, which began on February 28.
Last Friday, Donald Trump himself stated that the United States might not come to NATO’s aid if needed, reiterating his criticisms against the Atlantic Alliance at a business forum in Miami.
“We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year for NATO, hundreds of billions, to protect them
, and we would always be there for them, but now, considering their actions, I guess we no longer have the order, right?” he said.
“Cowards”
In recent weeks, the American president has made numerous bellicose statements towards NATO, calling it on his Truth Social network a
“paper tiger”
and
“cowards”
. The United States “will remember,” he declared at a Cabinet meeting.
“If we’ve reached a point where NATO’s alliance prevents us from using these bases, where we can’t actually use them to defend the interests of the United States, then NATO is a one-way street,” Marco Rubio stated. “NATO is simply summarized by the presence of our troops in Europe to defend Europe (…) When we need them to authorize us to use their military bases, their answer is ‘no’? Then why are we in NATO? This is the question that needs to be asked,” added the American Secretary of State.
He also emphasized that it is up to the US allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz, effectively blocked by Iran, upon which they depend for their oil. Referring to the war in Iran, he indicated that “we are close to the finish line” without providing a timeline.
Since the return of the American president to power, the relations between the United States, a founding and leading member, and NATO have been experiencing strong turbulence, with the former accusing Europeans of taking their security for granted, and the latter being concerned about a potential American disengagement.
