Trump Warns He May Refuse Future Support for NATO Allies Over Lack of Backing on Iran Operation

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he may refuse to provide assistance to NATO allies in the future, citing what he described as insufficient support from alliance members during the U.S. military operation involving Iran.

Speaking to reporters at the White House Oval Office, Trump criticized NATO partners for not cooperating when the United States requested support.

“We have spent so much money. But now when we ask for cooperation on certain things, they say no. So we will not help,” Trump said.

Calling the situation “foolish,” he added that the United States could respond in the same way toward its allies and “may do so.”

Despite ongoing tensions over burden-sharing and alliance commitments, Trump is expected to attend the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara next month.

Ahead of the summit, Turkish security forces launched a major operation on Tuesday and detained more than 200 people suspected of links to ISIS and other groups.

Trump is expected to join leaders of the 32-member NATO alliance at the July 7–8 summit in Ankara.

Turkey has announced extensive security measures for the event, including restrictions on demonstrations, limited access to roads leading to the airport, and heightened security around summit venues and hotels hosting foreign delegations.

The Turkish government has continued nationwide counterterrorism operations as part of its security efforts. Last month, authorities detained 324 people suspected of links to ISIS in a countrywide operation.

According to a statement from the chief prosecutor’s office, detention orders were issued early Tuesday for 241 suspects. Police and gendarmerie forces later detained 209 of them in Ankara and surrounding areas, while operations continued to locate the remaining suspects.

Authorities said 56 of those detained were suspected members of ISIS, while 35 were allegedly linked to the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C), a far-left militant organization that Turkey has accused of carrying out armed attacks and assassinations.

ISIS has also carried out deadly attacks in Turkey, including a 2017 New Year’s Eve attack on an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.