'NATO in grave danger after Iran war,' former US NATO ambassador tells Euronews

Published on 09/04/2026 - 8:30 GMT+2

Former US ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, said repeated threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to retreat from NATO, arsenic good arsenic confrontations with America's European allies implicit their refusal to articulation the war, person created the ‘worst crisis’ NATO has ever faced.

“The past six weeks person been extraordinarily damaging to NATO,” Daalder told Euronews' Shona Murray.

“We spot a divided NATO, which has been the extremity of archetypal the Soviet Union and past Russia for the amended portion of 80 years,” helium said.

Daalder said Trump’s statements suggesting the U.S. mightiness not support NATO allies against aboriginal subject aggression by Russia oregon different adversaries person destabilised the confederation and shaken the planetary order.

He added that the six‑week warfare against Iran has depleted U.S. subject resources by burning done ample stocks of interceptors and different missiles successful the bombing campaign.

“A NATO that is genuinely astatine loggerheads, a NATO successful which the president of the United States says, ‘I'm not going to support you’, it is simply a bully clip to trial NATO if you are sitting successful Moscow,” helium said.

“It’s besides a bully clip to trial what you could get distant with successful Taiwan if you're sitting successful Beijing, due to the fact that overmuch of the US subject capableness has been moved to the Gulf,” helium warned.

Daalder, who served arsenic U.S. ambassador nether erstwhile President Obama from 2009 - 2013 said described the US/Iran warfare arsenic a “strategic blunder of historical proportion.”

“Much of US subject capabilities has been expended connected this war, which turned retired to beryllium a strategical blunder of historical proportion,” helium said.

His comments travel arsenic NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte is successful Washington D.C. for a bid of discussions including with Trump, and Secretary of State Rubio, arsenic good arsenic Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth. Rutte is expected to effort to salve immoderate of the hostility which has emerged betwixt the US and its allies successful Europe.

Meanwhile, Daadler’s believes that - connected the look of it - Iran holds the “upper hand” successful narration to the presumption of the ceasefire negotiated connected Tuesday to avert each retired ‘civilisational destruction.’

An statement was made to reopen planetary shipping routes done the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly however, support volition beryllium required from the Iranian equipped forces for vessels attempting to pass.

Iran has held the Strait hostage arsenic portion of its retaliation against the US and Israel. It's effectual closure has triggered skyrocketing state and lipid prices arsenic good arsenic large economical uncertainty crossed the globe.

The afloat details of however the Strait volition beryllium secured for each planetary shipping including the transition of Gulf lipid and state is unclear.

“The Strait of Hormuz was unfastened earlier the bombing started,” Daalder said.

“Now ships whitethorn beryllium going through. We don't cognize however many. We don't cognize when. We don't cognize where. And successful immoderate case, the Iranians are claiming they volition support control," helium said.

"That is simply a monolithic alteration successful Iran's payment and to the detriment not lone of the United States and Israel," helium said.