Trump labels NATO refusal to join Iran operation a “very foolish mistake” as top US counterterrorism chief quits

President Donald Trump has sharply criticised NATO allies for refusing to participate in the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, calling their stance a “very foolish mistake” even as the conflict enters its third week with no end in sight.

Speaking in the Oval Office during a St. Patrick’s Day visit by Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Trump said most NATO countries had made clear they support the campaign in words but have no intention of providing troops, ships or other direct assistance.

“Everyone agrees with us, but they don’t want to help,” he told reporters. “And we as the United States have to remember that because we think it’s pretty shocking.”

On his Truth Social platform he went further, declaring that U.S. military successes mean Washington no longer needs or desires NATO help. “WE NEVER DID!” he wrote, while also singling out Japan, Australia and South Korea for criticism.

The flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway – through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows – by deploying drones, missiles and naval mines in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes. Trump has repeatedly urged allies to help police the strait and reopen it to tanker traffic. Several NATO capitals and other partners responded on Monday that they have no immediate plans to send naval forces.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas captured the prevailing mood: “Nobody is ready to put their people in harm’s way in the Strait of Hormuz. We have to find diplomatic ways to keep this open so that we don’t have a food crisis, fertilizers crisis, energy crisis as well.”

The reluctance comes despite the allies’ rhetorical backing for efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear programme and regional influence. Trump said he has “nothing currently in mind” by way of punishment for the lack of support.

The public rift inside the Trump administration itself provides stark context for the growing international hesitation. On the same day, Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, became the first senior U.S. official to resign over the war.

In a letter posted to social media, Kent wrote: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

Kent, a former Green Beret and vocal “America First” advocate, argued that international law requires an imminent threat to justify initiating hostilities. He claimed intelligence assessments under his watch showed no such danger.

The White House pushed back hard. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt called Kent’s claims “false” and insisted Trump acted on “strong and compelling evidence… compiled from many sources” that Iran was preparing to strike first. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard echoed that line on social media, saying the president had “concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat.”

Democrats on Capitol Hill, while critical of Kent’s past associations, nevertheless agreed with his core assessment. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said: “On this point, he is right: There was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice.”

The resignation has amplified questions about the legal and intelligence foundations of the campaign, which began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes at the end of February aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and decapitating its leadership.

On the ground, the situation remains grim and escalating. Iran confirmed on Tuesday that its security chief Ali Larijani – who until recently had been a key pragmatic interlocutor in back-channel nuclear talks – was killed along with his son and deputy in an Israeli strike. Larijani had served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and, following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war, had effectively become one of the Islamic Republic’s most powerful figures.

Killing of pragmatic interlocutor Ali Larijani deepens Iran war impasse

In retaliation, Iran fired a barrage of missiles tipped with cluster warheads at Tel Aviv, killing two people and bringing Israel’s civilian death toll to at least 14. Iranian forces have also unleashed more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases and infrastructure across the Gulf, with the United Arab Emirates bearing the brunt – including repeated strikes on oil facilities and the port of Fujairah.

The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not yet appeared publicly since assuming the role last week, delivered a hardline message through intermediaries. According to a senior Iranian official who spoke on condition of anonymity, he rejected two separate ceasefire proposals conveyed by third countries, declaring it was “not the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation.”

The humanitarian and economic toll is mounting rapidly. Iranian authorities report more than 3,000 dead since the strikes began. In Israel, Iranian missiles have killed civilians; in Lebanon, Israeli operations since early March have claimed over 900 lives. A projectile landed near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant without causing damage, prompting the IAEA chief to urge “maximum restraint.”

Oil markets are reacting violently. Prices rose another 3 percent on Tuesday and are now up roughly 45 percent since the war started, stoking fears of renewed global inflation. The World Food Programme warned that continued closure of the Hormuz route could push tens of millions into acute hunger by June. Airlines are already absorbing hundreds of millions of dollars in extra fuel costs as Middle East airspace remains largely closed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the campaign as an opportunity for the Iranian people to rise up against their government. “It won’t happen in one go… but if we persist — we will provide them with the opportunity to take their destiny into their own hands,” he said.

For now, however, the war grinds on with no diplomatic off-ramp in sight. Saudi Arabia is convening Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Riyadh this week to discuss regional stability, while Washington continues to press – so far unsuccessfully – for allied help to reopen the world’s most critical energy artery.

With Reuters. Edited by g.g.

Caption: President Donald Trump attends the Shamrock Bowl presentation By Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 17 March 2026. EPA/YURI GRIPAS / POOL