Nearly three months after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, the Trump administration's frustration with European allies shows no sign of abating. US Ambassador to the European Union Andrew Pudzer told Euronews that President Donald Trump remains "very disappointed" with NATO member states that declined to support the military campaign.
In an interview at the Brussels Economic Security Forum, Pudzer said the White House had expected European nations to grant basic access—overflight rights and use of existing US bases on their soil—for aircraft and personnel headed to the conflict zone. Instead, several countries, including Spain and Italy, refused. The United Kingdom initially denied use of its bases in Cyprus for offensive strikes, though Prime Minister Keir Starmer later relented for what London described as a "specific and limited defensive purpose." Germany did not restrict access to US installations but publicly criticised the war's aims; Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated, "This is not our war; we did not start it."
An Obligation Unfulfilled
Pudzer framed the European reluctance as a breach of trust. "We have bases in Europe that we have funded and supported for decades, and we have countries that we've rescued in war and we've been a very reliable ally to," he said. "When they won't even let us fly over their country or use our bases in their countries, you're going to find the United States, and particularly President Trump, will be very upset."
The ambassador argued that European states had an obligation to assist, given America's historical role in defending the continent. He questioned the reliability of transatlantic partnerships: "All we wanted to do was fly over the countries we defended and use the air bases… so if you're not willing to do that, what are you willing to do?"
The military campaign, which began on 28 February, triggered a swift response from Tehran: the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas reserves transit. The blockade has sent energy prices soaring and contributed to global instability, prompting a UK-France-led international coalition to prepare to reopen the strait once hostilities end.
Retribution and Rifts
Trump's indignation has been public and pointed. He has described NATO allies as "cowards" on social media and vowed to "remember" their refusal. Washington has since withdrawn several US military capabilities previously available to NATO for use in Europe and announced troop reductions on the continent, particularly in Germany, amid a personal feud with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Merz, in late April, said US negotiators were being "humiliated" by Iran's leadership. "An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible," he said, while also criticising Washington's "ill-conceived" objectives in starting the war. Trump responded on social media, telling the German chancellor to focus on ending the war in Ukraine—"Where he has been totally ineffective!"—and on "fixing his broken Country."
The rift has deepened at a time when Europe is already grappling with its own security challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the broader geopolitical fallout from the Iran conflict. The UK-France-led naval deployment to the region is partly an attempt to mend fences, but the damage to trust may take years to repair.
For now, the message from Washington is clear: European allies who failed to support the US in Iran should not expect business as usual. As Pudzer put it, the question of reliability remains open—and Trump is not one to forget.
