Trump mulls punishing some NATO members over lack of support during Iran war: WSJ

▲ This file photo, released by Reuters, shows U.S. President Donald Trump speaking during the signing ceremony for an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on March 31, 2026. (Yonhap)

Trump-NATO

Trump mulls punishing some NATO members over lack of support during Iran war: WSJ

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 8 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering punishing some members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that he perceives as unhelpful to the United States during the Iran war, a report said Wednesday.

Citing U.S. officials, The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration is weighing the plan, which would involve moving American troops out of NATO countries deemed unhelpful to the U.S., and putting them in countries that were more supportive of the U.S.

The report did not mention South Korea or Japan, which Trump has openly criticized for not having acceded to his appeal to provide naval assistance to help reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, including sending warships to escort merchant vessels through the waterway.

The plan has gained support among senior administration officials in recent weeks, though it is "early in conception," the report said.

The report came as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was in Washington to meet with Trump.

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