Trump cynically attempts to shame NATO whose backbone finally appears

Contrary to US President Donald Trump’s expectations NATO has refused to join the US and Israel’s illegal war on Iran.

In usual ego-driven fashion, Trump is attempting to gaslight and shame NATO into submission. However, his cynical attempts are increasingly revealing just how embarrassing and pathetically childish the ‘leader of the Western world’ really is.

This will likely be restoring hope amongst Britons that there is a red line for European leaders when working with the US. A red line that many feared did not exist with its member states’ complicity in the genocide on Gaza, which has murdered tens of thousands of Palestinians since October 7th, 2023.

Pres. Trump said he believes NATO is making a "very foolish mistake" in not helping the U.S. in the war with Iran.

"I've long said that, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So, this was a great test. Because we don't need them, but they should have been… pic.twitter.com/RaqKWq3XvA

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 17, 2026

Trump in over his head

The US and Israel began waging their brutal war of aggression on Iran, and prolonged Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, at the end of February 2026. Since that attack, many have found relief in seeing NATO leaders largely refrain from giving their support to Trump, despite his protestations. Now Trump is threatening to leave NATO and take his funding with him, in a naked attempt to muster up support.

Attacks on oil infrastructure are hitting the world’s richest where it hurts. As a result, a potential world war looms as obviously the priority is private profits; not people. Nevertheless, the only way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is to end the war of aggression which prompted Iran’s move to counterattack.

Until those calls come thick and fast, Iran is simply following Western precedents in using financial pain to defend its interests:

"This could be World War Three!"

Glenn Beck warns that if Trump and NATO do not manage to reopen the Strait of Hormuz soon, it "will collapse the economy of the West".

📺https://t.co/aVEfspFSVf@piersmorgan | @glennbeck pic.twitter.com/377LYvoBpS

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) March 18, 2026

Leavitt: "Trump calls out NATO for being what he believes is an unfair alliance for American people"

Trump thinks NATO is "unfair" for not joining his war for Israel. They're not unfair-they're just not dumb enough to die for a foreign country's agenda. pic.twitter.com/HvFz7a6i23

— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) March 18, 2026

100,000 could lose their jobs in the UK

We have written extensively on the war on Iran given the mainstream media’s reluctance to provide neutral, unbiased and fair coverage on yet another illegal military operation in the Middle East. Not only does the war carry fatal consequences for innocent Iranian and Lebanese civilians, but it will also impact citizens at home in the UK. Our Alex/Rose Cocker wrote:

Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran has sent energy prices skyrocketing. The effect on energy-intensive industries in the UK has been immediate and severe. And, as a knock-on effect, as many as 100,000 jobs could be lost across the UK.

Of course, we won’t shed a tear for the impact on highly polluting industries themselves. However, the situation is a striking illustration of the vulnerability created by the UK’s desperate reliance on increasingly volatile fossil fuels.

Thankfully, that resistance is being maintained, and Trump is being left to look like the deranged, sociopathic, self-interested leader that he is.

Despite pressure, the US is receiving a loud resounding ‘No’ apparently:

🚨 US President Trump has asked the world to help US and send warships to Strait of Hormuz to re-open it.

He didn't get POSITIVE response. US closet NATO allies have also refused to send any warships to Hormuz.

🇬🇧 UK: NO
🇮🇹 Italy: NO
🇪🇸 Spain: NO
🇯🇵 Japan: NO
🇷🇺Russia: NO
🇫🇷…

— South Asia Index (@SouthAsiaIndex) March 16, 2026

German 🇩🇪 Leader Alice Weidel:

“Trump now wants help for Iran, This suggests that they entered this mission without any brain, the Americans did not think about an exit strategy or how this is supposed to continue”

Every NATO member is grilling Trump 🔥pic.twitter.com/FfpPYX612I

— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) March 18, 2026

This X account detailed how actions have consequences:

NATO wasn’t created to be a clean-up squad for the US.

Had Trump involved allies in planning and had he not spent the past few months trash-talking NATO, hitting allies with tariffs and threatening to annexe European territory by force, things might be different.

Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that some within NATO appear to feel otherwise. Mark Rutte, Chief of NATO, recently gave the impression that the alliance is there to provide a ‘platform for the US to project power’. This highlights that NATO reluctance isn’t guaranteed; some within it are more than happy to prioritise power over people.

Q: "Trump didn't consult NATO before the war. Why should they help now?"

Leavitt: "NATO allies benefit more from the Strait reopening than the US does."

Trump launched a war for Israel. Now he's asking NATO to clean it up. Because they "benefit." Benefit from a war they never… pic.twitter.com/qNriAYpE9f

— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) March 18, 2026

More allies turning their backs on Trump by the day

Criticism of Trump is growing, with even those who have demonised Iranian people and denied their legal right to self-defence now holding the US president to account.

Former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro isn’t best pleased with Trump signaling his friends are turning on him:

Unjustified? So Iran has just to accept any atrocity and not hit back?
You are nuts.

— Craig Murray (@CraigMurrayOrg) March 19, 2026

A recent Truth Social post suggests Trump knows he is losing control:

Trump moves to rein in Israel after IDF strikes South Pars gas field, sparking massive Iranian response on Qatari LNG

“Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran.”

The man… pic.twitter.com/XqA89jTBFU

— HatsOff (@HatsOffff) March 19, 2026

Despite his best attempts, world leaders are increasingly turning their backs on bully Trump and the American empire:

The American empire is completely isolated. Trump threatened to literally invade a NATO ally just six weeks ago, never consulted them about attacking Iran, and is now crying that they won't join his disastrous war. The world is turning its back on Washington. pic.twitter.com/KPGdo3ixnO

— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) March 18, 2026

Karma is a bitch, after all. Trump has long threatened the safety of apparent NATO allies, as this post from 2024 shows:

BREAKING: The NATO Secretary General says any attack will be met with "forceful response" after Donald Trump said he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” if it attacked a NATO country that didn’t pay enough for defencehttps://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3

📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/2PANYPpFYA

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 11, 2024

A red line finally appears for NATO

Trump has made endless protestations that other states aren’t spending enough on defence compared to the US, who have long been captured by the military industrial machine. He has gone so far as to withhold support from supposed “allies” unless they commit billions more to military spending. In practice, as with Israel, this approach suggests the US would grant Russia considerable freedom in waging its aggression if toddler-tyrant Trump doesn’t get what he wants.

Hardly a win for citizens across the entire world who fear this new world order of ‘might is always right’ will in time hurt their own families and communities when bombs and bullets fall further afield. A world order that our own leaders have been more than happy to bow down to.

Now it appears that NATO are leveraging their own power and influence, finally seeming to recognise the existence of international law, shocking millions. In contrast to the US demanding higher profits for the military machine, NATO states are now refusing to legitimise the US and Israel’s contravention of the rules-based order. Don’t get me wrong, they could do a hell of a lot more, but it’s a positive change of tack.

Nonetheless, two superpowers are going head-to-head, and we should not take that lightly.

Let’s hope this spoilt president can learn new tricks in his old age and finally understand the meaning of ‘no’. A skill his victims would likely dispute is possible.

Ultimately, the only solution is an urgent regime change in the West to stand the faintest chance of global peace and prosperity.

Featured image via the Canary