Trump used the Monday press conference to broaden his attack on NATO, accusing transatlantic military allies of failing to support Washington during the Iran war.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a mark on NATO that will never disappear,\u201d he said, adding he was \u201cvery disappointed\u201d by the lack of military backing after several countries \u2014 including Spain \u2014 refused to grant access to bases or airspace<\/a>, and European governments declined to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz.<\/a><\/p>\n The comments echo a growing drumbeat of criticism from the Trump administration. Trump floated the idea of pulling the U.S. out of NATO<\/a> last week, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned<\/a> the alliance risks becoming \u201cnot a very good arrangement\u201d for Washington.<\/p>\n European leaders have so far resisted U.S. pressure. In a call last Thursday<\/a> involving more than 40 leaders, governments discussed diplomatic and economic steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz but stopped short of any concrete military commitment<\/a>. French President Emmanuel Macron went further, warning<\/a> such a military operation would be \u201cunrealistic.\u201d<\/p>\n NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is set to meet Trump, Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Wednesday in a bid to ease tensions.<\/p>\n Trump, for his part, appears unimpressed.<\/p>\n