In March, Donald Trump said the United States no longer required assistance from NATO, Japan, South Korea and Australia in the Iran conflict, citing the country’s military success. Less than a month later, he criticized those same allies for what he described as a lack of support during a White House press conference on Monday.
The US president described NATO as a “paper tiger,” before going on to say, “We didn’t need them, obviously, because they haven’t helped at all. Just the opposite. They’ve actually gone out of their way not to help. They didn’t even want to give us landing strips. Think of it. And it’s not just NATO.
Donald Trump delivering remarks at Yokosuka Naval Base in Tokyo Bay, October 2025
Trump Criticizes Japan, South Korea and Australia for Not Helping With the Iran War
“You know who else didn’t help us? South Korea didn’t help us,” continued Trump. “You know who else didn’t help us? Australia didn’t help us. You know who else didn’t help us? Japan. We’ve got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them from North Korea. We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect us from Kim Jong Un, who I get along with very well.”
Trump also claimed that the North Korean leader used a derogatory term to describe former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness. “He used to call Joe Biden a mentally r******* person, OK? … He was so nasty to Joe Biden, it was terrible. But to me, he likes Trump, and you notice how nice things are with North Korea? It’s very nice.”
Trump Says Iran Could Be Taken Out in One Night if No Deal Is Agreed
The most chilling remark from Trump, though, was his warning to Iran if it fails to make a deal before the deadline he set for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “The entire country could be taken out in one night,” said Trump. “And that night might be tomorrow night.” His deadline for an “acceptable” deal is set for 8 p.m. Washington DC time on Tuesday.
