Overview
- President Trump, in a Wednesday interview and a later national address, said he is considering leaving NATO and vowed more strikes on Iran, a stance that sent Brent crude above $105 a barrel.
- Reports attributed to the Financial Times say he threatened to pause U.S. weapons for Ukraine unless European partners join a “coalition of the willing” to force open the Strait of Hormuz.
- A 2024 U.S. law bars a unilateral exit without Congress or a two‑thirds Senate vote, and NATO’s Article 13 requires 12 months’ notice before any departure takes effect.
- European leaders pushed back, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling NATO the most effective military alliance and officials in Brussels urging calm.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit Washington next week, and July’s summit in Ankara now looms as a test of allied unity and burden‑sharing.