Donald Trump slams Nato as 'absolutely useless' while declaring Iran war 'almost over'

Peter Stevens
Sat, 18 Apr 2026 02:18:21 +0000

Donald Trump has slammed Nato as "absolutely useless" in opening the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war.

The President said the remarks during a speech at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona, and was introduced by Erika Kirk.

He reiterated the Strait of Hormuz has been opened by Iran, but warned the US naval blockade will remain in place until "transaction with Iran is 100 per cent complete".

Mr Trump said he recently received a phone call from Nato offering support.

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Mr Trump said: "Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is almost over, I received a phone call from Nato asking if we would like some help. Thank you very much Nato.

"And I told them I would have liked your help two months ago, but now I really don't want your help anymore because they were absolutely useless when we needed them."

Keir Starmer earlier today announced a "multinational mission" to "reassure commercial shipping" and "support mine clearance" in the Strait of Hormuz.

The President compared the Nato call to a campaign donor offering to give money after an election is over.

Mr Trump said: "After I won, people came up to me, 'sir I'd like to make a major contribution to your campaign', and I said, listen, just so you understand, campaign contributions after I won don't count.

"And Nato, after we won at this encounter, was the same."

He also said Nato "needed" the support of the US, pointing to the large sums the country contributes to the military alliance.

The US is the largest contributor to Nato and gave an estimated $980billion, which represents 3.2 per cent of GDP.

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Members of the organisation have pledged to contribute five per cent of GDP to Nato by 2035, but there have been calls for Britain to invest more in defence expenditure as the war has continued.

Nato chief Mark Rutte admitted members of his organisation were slow to support the US during the early stages of the Iran war.

"When it came time to provide the logistical and other support the United States needed in Iran, some allies were a bit slow, to say the least," the Secretary General of Nato said.

Oil prices plunged as the Strait of Hormuz was declared open, with prices falling below $90 (£66.55) on Friday, the first time in two weeks.

Despite declarations from both Mr Trump and Iran's foreign minister the critical waterway was open, very few vessels have passed through the strait.

Iran has published two "co-ordinated routes" for oil tankers and warned ships not on the designated routes are at risk of hitting mines or being attacked.

The President also addressed the upcoming November midterms at the Turning Point USA event, telling the crowd Republicans were "going to win".

He attacked Democrats for wanting to "protect criminal aliens" and said Democrats wanted to "drag America down, destroy our country, put it into crime, poverty and squalor".

Arizona is seen as a swing state in the upcoming elections - with Democrats holding both Senate seats and the governorship - despite Mr Trump winning the state's electoral votes in the 2024 election by 5.5 per cent.

Mr Trump endorsed Andy Biggs in the upcoming gubernatorial election, who is likely to face incumbent Democrat Katie Hobbs, who narrowly defeated former news anchor Kari Lake in 2022.