The remains of one of two U.S. Army soldiers who disappeared during “African Lion” military exercises in Morocco have been recovered after an intensive week-long multinational search operation, military officials confirmed Sunday.
The soldier was identified as Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 27-year-old 1st Lieutenant from Richmond, Virginia, who served as an Air Defense Artillery officer assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/03/world-news/2-us-troops-missing-during-africa-lion-training-exercises-in-morocco/">According</a> to The New York Post, Key and another unidentified soldier vanished on May 2 during a recreational hike near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, Morocco, hours after participating in the annual African Lion multinational war games exercise.
Officials said the two soldiers were seen near ocean cliffs before they reportedly plunged into the Atlantic Ocean. “A Moroccan military search team found the Soldier in the water along the shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time May 9, within roughly one mile of where both Soldiers reportedly entered the ocean,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a <a href="https://www.europeafrica.army.mil/ArticleViewPressRelease/Article/4482802/press-release-us-army-recovers-identifies-one-soldier-near-cap-draa-morocco-sea/">statement</a>.
The second soldier remains missing as search efforts continue.
The disappearance triggered a massive international rescue operation involving more than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco, and allied partner nations participating in the exercises. The operation included helicopters, drones, frigates, maritime vessels, and ground search teams combing more than 12,000 square kilometers of shoreline and ocean over eight days.
African Lion 2026 is the largest annual U.S.-led military exercise on the African continent, involving more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. The exercise is designed to strengthen military coordination and readiness between the United States and allied African and NATO partner nations.
Military officials said a U.S. contingent remains in Morocco even after the formal conclusion of the exercises Friday in order to continue search-and-rescue operations for the second missing soldier.
Before joining the military, Key earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Methodist University in North Carolina, with additional studies in international business, entrepreneurship, and business administration. He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate before receiving his commission as an Air Defense Artillery officer in 2024 after completing Officer Candidate School and the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
His military decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
“On behalf of U.S. Africa Command, we extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of 1st Lt. Key and to the entire 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command family,” AFRICOM commander General Dagvin Anderson and Command Sergeant Major Garric Banfield said in a joint statement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“On behalf of U.S. Africa Command, we extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of 1st Lt. Key and to the entire 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command family.”
&#8211; General Dagvin Anderson and Command Sergeant Major Garric Banfield<a href="https://t.co/f1ZxHptZAC">https://t.co/f1ZxHptZAC</a>
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAfricaCommand/status/2053546300122001826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
The tragedy marks another deadly incident connected to the African Lion exercises, which began in 2004. In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured after a helicopter crash during the drills in Morocco.

Kendrick-Lamont-Key-c8396e

Body Of One Soldier Recovered After War Games Accident, One Still Missing

Africa

Military

NATO

U.S. Army

President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, scaling back America&#8217;s military presence in Europe to levels seen before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said. “This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground. We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”
The move comes after months of criticism from Trump, who has accused NATO allies of failing to support U.S. operations against the Iranian regime and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which he says Europe relies on more heavily.
Trump has described the 32-member NATO alliance as a “paper tiger” and a “one-way street.”
He has also been in a public feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, accusing him of downplaying the threat posed by Iran and warning that such positions could have serious global consequences.
“The Chancellor of Germany… thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump posted on social media on Tuesday, adding that if Iran obtained such a weapon, “the whole World would be held hostage.”
Merz had earlier accused Iran of stalling negotiations and humiliating the United States.
A senior Defense Department official told The Daily Wire that the troop reduction reflects the administration&#8217;s frustration with European allies.
“The Europeans have not stepped up when America needed them. This cannot be a one-way street,” a senior Department of War official told The Daily Wire. “The President has been very clear about his frustrations about our allies’ rhetoric and failure to provide support for U.S. operations that benefit them.”
The official added that the president is directly reacting to German rhetoric, which has been “inappropriate and unhelpful.”
The withdrawal will primarily affect a brigade combat team and other forces stationed in Germany. It also halts a planned deployment of a long-range fires battalion that had been scheduled to arrive later this year under a Biden-era plan.
Officials said the directive takes effect immediately, though details about the specific units and movement timelines remain limited.
 The decision is part of a broader strategic realignment focused on the homeland, Western Hemisphere, and Indo-Pacific, while restoring readiness across the military, particularly within the Army.
It would also bring U.S. troop levels in Europe closer to pre-2022 levels, before forces surged in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a buildup, officials emphasized, that was always intended to be temporary.
“The President’s decision also sends a very clear signal about how important it is for Germany and other allies to take primary responsibility for Europe’s defense,” the official said.
&nbsp;

NATO Summit In The Hague Final Day

Trump Pulls Troops From Europe And Sends ‘Allies’ Blunt Message: It’s A Two-Way Street

Donald Trump

Germany

Operation Epic Fury

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday tried to downplay his viral description of President Donald Trump as &#8220;daddy&#8221; as a &#8220;language problem.&#8221;
Rutte, 59, set off a wave of memes during a June 2025 presser in The Hague when he used the term to praise Trump&#8217;s negotiating and foreign policy tactics.
The former Dutch prime minister used the affectionate phrase soon after Trump lashed out at Israel and Iran following their 12-day conflict, saying the two countries &#8220;don&#8217;t know what the f*ck they&#8217;re doing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump is PISSED about the ceasefire violations.
&#8220;We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don&#8217;t know what the f*** they&#8217;re doing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/DVGHuUP3Oj">pic.twitter.com/DVGHuUP3Oj</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1937475590996775362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
Rutte, sitting next to the president, said at the time, &#8220;Daddy has to sometimes use strong language.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said &#8220;daddy has to sometimes use strong language&#8221; on Wednesday, referring to comments made by President Trump about Iran and Israel fighting.
Read more: <a href="https://t.co/pIyCLeXNO8">https://t.co/pIyCLeXNO8</a> <a href="https://t.co/91oWCuOgf8">pic.twitter.com/91oWCuOgf8</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1937890485189718135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
Hours later at the NATO Summit, Secretary of State Marco Rubio laughed as an international reporter asked Trump how he felt being called &#8220;daddy.&#8221;
&#8220;I think he likes me,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;If he doesn&#8217;t, I&#8217;ll let you know. I&#8217;ll come back and hit him hard.&#8221;
&#8220;He did it very affectionately. &#8216;Daddy — you’re my daddy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Marco Rubio laughs as a reporter asks Trump how it felt being called “daddy” by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte <a href="https://t.co/aKBWjy8n5B">pic.twitter.com/aKBWjy8n5B</a>
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) <a href="https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1937898294870413654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
Asked again Thursday whether he still considered the commander-in-chief &#8220;daddy,&#8221; Rutte attributed the remark to a language barrier.
“I have to explain to you, because it follows me a little bit,” Rutte said at Washington’s Ronald Reagan Institute forum. “In Dutch, you would say, ‘Hey, the translation of your father is daddy.’ And I would say, ‘Hey, yeah, sometimes daddy has to be angry. So I was not calling him my daddy. But of course, daddy has also a special connotation, and I now have to live with this for the rest of my life.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Q: &#8220;Do you still consider [President Trump] &#8216;daddy&#8217; after yesterday?&#8221; 
<a href="https://twitter.com/SecGenNATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecGenNATO</a> Mark Rutte: &#8220;I was not calling him my daddy, but saying—but of course, &#8216;daddy&#8217; has also a special connotation, and I have to stay with this for the rest of my life.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/sV37k00z8y">pic.twitter.com/sV37k00z8y</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2042271255018021220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
Rutte struck a lighter tone as well, noting Trump had leaned into the moment.
&#8220;And I own it. The president owns it, because he brought out t-shirts, he made a movie, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daddys-home-team-trump-embraces-nato-leaders-remarks-with-new-merch">Daddy is Home,</a> when he returned to the United States, it was so funny,&#8221; Rutte said. &#8220;This is why I like him so much.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 “DADDY” MERCH OUT NOW!<a href="https://t.co/YAxVOAdj8y">https://t.co/YAxVOAdj8y</a> <a href="https://t.co/08PnAHhtFX">pic.twitter.com/08PnAHhtFX</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1938241270255915189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>

Donald Trump/Mark Rutte

NATO Chief Explains Trump ‘Daddy’ Comment And Admits It’s Not Going Away

White House

President Donald Trump raged Thursday morning that America&#8217;s allies fail to understand &#8220;anything unless they have pressure placed upon them,&#8221; once again taking aim at NATO after his meeting with the alliance&#8217;s secretary-general.
Trump targeted NATO in two social media posts shortly after his Wednesday meeting at the White House with NATO chief Mark Rutte, who traveled to Washington, D.C., following Trump&#8217;s renewed threats to pull the United States from the alliance.
&#8220;NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,&#8221; Trump wrote in a social media <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116371693008302124">post</a> on Wednesday evening. &#8220;REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116374792489555954">ripped</a> NATO again Thursday morning, posting, &#8220;None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s frustration with NATO has been building for months, particularly after several alliance members pushed back on his idea to acquire Greenland. Tensions have intensified more recently as some allies have rejected the president&#8217;s calls to back U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Rutte met with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday to discuss the alliance and Europe&#8217;s stance on the Iran war.
“He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte told CNN after the meeting.
Some NATO members — including the United Kingdom, France, and Spain — initially blocked U.S. aircraft from using their military bases for offensive strikes during &#8220;Operation Epic Fury.&#8221; The U.K. and France later allowed the United States limited use of bases for defensive purposes only, while Spain has remained a vocal opponent of the U.S. military operation.
&#8220;The large majority, including France, of European nations, has been doing what they committed they would do in a case like this,&#8221; Rutte said. &#8220;So Europe as a platform of power projection for the United States was in full play over the last six weeks. And yes, it is true that not all European nations lived up to those commitments, and I totally understand that [Trump] is disappointed about it.&#8221;
Rutte has been one of Trump&#8217;s biggest cheerleaders on the world stage in recent months and has repeatedly praised the U.S. president for forcing European nations to increase defense spending. The NATO secretary-general told CNN, &#8220;This was a meeting between friends because we like each other. I really admire his leadership &#8230; and NATO allies are with him when it comes to taking out, degrading the ballistic missile capacity of the Iranians.&#8221;
&#8220;The whole world is safer by this president degrading those capabilities,&#8221; Rutte added.
The United States is, by far, the largest financial supporter of NATO, covering more than 60% of the alliance&#8217;s defense spending, <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/commentary/trackers-and-data-visualizations/nato-defense-spending-tracker/#:~:text=United%20States%20$980%2C000%2C000%2C000%20NATO%20Europe,Kingdom%20France%20Italy%20Poland%20Spain">according</a> to the Atlantic Council. Last year, the United States spent roughly $980 billion on NATO&#8217;s defense.
Amid Trump&#8217;s pressure and repeated threats to withdraw from NATO, member states have ramped up their defense spending commitments. At last year&#8217;s NATO summit, allies agreed to increase their military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.

Trump Signals A Continued Pressure Campaign On Allies After Meeting With NATO Chief

Europe

Iran

The New York Times got hit with a wave of backlash — and ultimately was forced to issue a correction — after Friday&#8217;s print edition included a headline replacing the word &#8220;Atlantic&#8221; in North Atlantic Treaty Organization with &#8220;American.&#8221;
POLITICO editor Sasha Issenburg drew attention to the flub, sharing a photo of the newspaper showing both the date and the erroneous headline, which read, &#8220;A North American Treaty Organization Without America?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Does the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> know what NATO stands for? <a href="https://t.co/wvD1WxPOnN">pic.twitter.com/wvD1WxPOnN</a>
— Sasha Issenberg (@sissenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/sissenberg/status/2040078016576204989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer weighed in on the paper&#8217;s mistake, noting that every headline published by The New York Times had to make it past multiple editors before going to print.
&#8220;The NYT should release the names of every editor who read this and did not correct it. They have multiple layers of editors, especially for the print publication. That’s what the NYT would demand when the government makes a bad mistake. They should live up to the same standard,&#8221; he said.
Former Trump administration official Richard Grenell pointed out that the piece&#8217;s author, Steven Erlanger, as the paper&#8217;s Chief Diplomatic Correspondent for Europe: &#8220;Yikes.&#8221;
President Trump even commented on the flub on Saturday morning, saying in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116346654846871260">Truth Social post</a>, &#8220;The Failing New York Times, whose lack of credibility, and their constant Fake News attacks on your favorite President, ME, has caused its circulation to absolutely PLUMMET, referred to our severely weakened and extremely unreliable “partner,”NATO, as the North American Treaty Organization. The correct name is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization &#8211; A very interesting mistake! The hiring and educational standards have gone way down at the NYT. Bring back, “ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT” and, Make America Great Again!&#8221;
The article itself referenced President Donald Trump&#8217;s repeated threats to leave the organization over other nations — primarily in Europe — not providing monetary or military support when the United States is the one asking. Those threats have only accelerated as European allies have failed to answer calls for assistance with Operation Epic Fury in Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/rubio-says-us-need-reexamine-nato-membership-allies-blocked-basing-airspace-help">equally critical</a> of NATO, saying in recent remarks that if the United States could not rely on NATO allies when help was needed.
&#8220;If now we have reached a point where the NATO alliance means that we can&#8217;t use those bases, that, in fact, that we can no longer use those bases to defend America&#8217;s interests, then NATO is a one-way street. Then NATO is simply about us having troops in Europe to defend Europe,&#8221; Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity, adding that it did not make strategic sense for the United States to remain in the organization if it was going to be so one-sided.
By Friday afternoon, the outlet <a href="https://x.com/NYTimesPR/status/2040142477215056082">issued a statement</a> promising a correction in Saturday&#8217;s print edition: &#8220;A correction will appear in tomorrow&#8217;s print edition: &#8216;A headline with an article on Friday about President Trump’s threats to leave NATO misstated the full name of the body. It is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, not the North American Treaty Organization.'&#8221;

New York Times

New York Times Forced To Issue Correction After Wild Whiff On NATO

Marco Rubio

Media

Politics

The New York Times

Signaling a seismic shift in the post-WWII global order, President Donald Trump said he is &#8220;strongly considering&#8221; withdrawing the United States from NATO, delivering one of his clearest warnings that Washington may no longer be willing to underwrite European security without reciprocal support.
Delivered in a characteristically blunt interview with <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/01/donald-trump-strongly-considering-pulling-us-out-of-nato/">The Telegraph</a>, Trump argued the alliance has become a &#8220;one-way street,&#8221; with the United States expected to defend Europe while allies decline to support American operations.
The catalyst for this potential divorce is the refusal of European allies to support the U.S.-led effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for 20% of the world’s oil — which has been temporarily shuttered by Tehran.
Asked whether he would reconsider U.S. membership after the war with Iran is over, Trump did not hedge.
“Oh yes, I would say beyond reconsideration,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
Trump pointed directly to European reluctance to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for 20% of the world&#8217;s oil that has been shuttered by Iran, as evidence that the alliance is failing, and noted that while the United States has &#8220;automatically&#8221; stood by Europe, including in non-member states like Ukraine, the favor has not been returned.
&#8220;They weren’t there for us,&#8221; Trump remarked, specifically lambasting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a lack of naval support.
Senior administration officials are now echoing the president&#8217;s frustration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that continued U.S. participation in NATO cannot be taken for granted if allies expect protection while limiting American military flexibility.
&#8220;If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked but then denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement,&#8221; he said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth went further, arguing the war has exposed a fundamental imbalance.
&#8220;You don’t have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them,&#8221; Hegseth stated.
The statements point to a hardening of the administration&#8217;s NATO stance. Sources suggest the White House is eyeing a model that would block delinquent or uncooperative members from decision-making and is revisiting plans to withdraw troops from Germany.
As the U.S. and Israel continue air strikes against Iran’s nuclear program, the message from Washington is clear: the era of the American &#8220;blank check&#8221; for European security is over. If NATO will not serve as a platform for mutual security, President Trump appears ready to walk away from the table entirely.

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting

Trump Eyes Major NATO Shift After Allies Fail Key Test

Pete Hegseth

America&#8217;s allies are finally ready to step up to the plate after years of dithering on the Iranian threat.
Those allies are ready with all their combined strength: Germany, France, UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Japan. They are firing on all cylinders with urgency, resolve, and action.
Yes, that&#8217;s right. Our allies, who have been reliant on our largesse and mutual defense for decades, finally announced that they are going to help us, their patron state, the United States — with a very strongly-worded letter.
Our allies are doing what they do best. They are saying things.
At some point, the questions have to be asked: Who are our true allies? Who is actually stepping up to the plate? Who is merely judging from the sidelines?
In lieu of any real world support, our valiant allies have now issued a strongly worded letter.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2392-sub?elementPosition=1&amp;row=6&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Here&#8217;s what the letter says:
<blockquote>We condemn in the strongest terms, recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces. We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict.
We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines and drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the strait to commercial shipping and to comply with U.N. Security Council Resolution 28-17. We call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations. We call on all states to respect international law and uphold the fundamental principles of international prosperity and security.</blockquote>
Whoa, dude. Harsh stuff.
Iran must be quaking in its boots. Our allies are saying things.
The Europeans, Japan? They&#8217;re expressing “deep concern.” Not “regular” concern. “Deep” concern. They are calling on Iran to do things and to stop being so mean.
But wait, isn&#8217;t there some sort of commitment to action in the letter?
The statement does say this: “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure a safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.”
That sounds good, right? But what does “appropriate efforts” mean? Who decides what is “appropriate?”
According to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/19/strait-hormuz-coalition-allies-statement-uk">Axios</a>, “On Thursday morning, NATO head Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and convinced him to lift his opposition to the political statement of support, while leaving the discussion on the practical steps for later.”
Now, to be fair to Rutte, there&#8217;s not much he can do. He&#8217;s the head of NATO, but he can&#8217;t simply deploy force. He certainly recognizes the Iranian threat, and he would like to avoid alienating the United States.
He said, “We all agree, as we always did, that it was crucial for Iran not to get its hands on a nuclear capability, a ballistic missile capability. And what the U.S. is doing at the moment is degrading that capability of Iran. And I think that&#8217;s very important. This is important for European security, for the Middle East. It is vital for Israel itself.”
 The Japanese are also paying lip service here; the Japanese prime minister told President Trump, “I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world,” adding they would “reach out to many of the partners in the international community, to achieve our objective together.”
So what are our allies actually committing to?
Nothing. This sort of stupidity is nothing new for our allies, who are quite fond of empty verbiage as a substitute for credible threat of force.
Go all the way back to 1919, when the covenant of the League of Nations was integrated into the Treaty of Versailles. That attempt to form a family of nations — while it was not a success — led to 1928, when 15 countries came together to sign what was called the Kellogg-Briand Pact.
It outlawed war.
Did you know that? That war was outlawed in 1928? The signatories included France, the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Italy, and Japan. 47 more nations joined in as well.
And then, three years later, in 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria and nobody did anything. And by 1941, every single nation that had signed the treaty, with the exception of Ireland — which basically stayed out of the war and sided with Germany — was enmeshed in World War II.
Empty verbiage.
The same thing holds true today. For decades, our allies have pretended to oppose the Iranian terror regime while doing virtually nothing to hold them accountable. They&#8217;ve imposed some rather minor sanctions targeting specific officials, unless the United States has pushed them into broader sanctions.
We&#8217;ve had to do all the hard work, as per our usual arrangement.
So here&#8217;s the deal. If we&#8217;re going to do all the work and undertake all the sacrifice and spend the blood and treasure, then we ought to reap the benefit. 
There&#8217;s been a lot of talk about what the United States ought to do next with regard to Iran. The most obvious move, and one I&#8217;ve been advocating, is for the United States to seize Kharg Island. President Trump has been suggesting for a while that this may happen.
Nearly 90% of all Iranian oil passes through Kharg Island. The Iranians have already, in large part, shut the Strait of Hormuz. They&#8217;ve already upped the ante in terms of attacks on surrounding gas and oil facilities. So the United States doesn&#8217;t have tremendous downside here.
What&#8217;s Iran going to do, attack more oil facilities? We ought to seize control of the oil, and then we ought to let American companies keep pumping it, and then we ought to send it to its final destination, China. China would then know that we are in charge of the spigot; Iran&#8217;s terrorist government would be deprived of their monetary flow.
What about the Europeans?
If the price of oil rises, they can buy it from us, not the Iranians.
If they&#8217;re not going to join us as allies, they can pay our companies for the oil.

NATO Leaders Attend 2025 Summit In The Hague

Fake Allies And Backstabbers

Ben Shapiro

European Union

Japan

Middle East

Opinion

Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States does not need NATO&#8217;s help in its war with Iran, after most alliance members declined to join the military operation.
“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO ‘Allies’ that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116245182325726375">wrote</a> on Truth Social. 
Trump’s post comes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-natos-future-could-be-very-bad-if-allies-refuse-to-help-secure-strait-of-hormuz?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Warns+NATO%E2%80%99s+Future+Could+Be+%E2%80%98Very+Bad%E2%80%99+If+Allies+Refuse+To+Help+Secure+Strait+Of+Hormuz">after</a> he called for international assistance securing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route through which roughly one-fifth of the world&#8217;s oil supply passes. He warned on Sunday that NATO would face a “very bad” future if it did not help open the strait. 
“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said. 
Despite the lack of support, Trump said that the United States is no longer seeking NATO assistance, saying the United States had already “decimated” Iran’s military, including its navy and air force. 
“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Trump said. “In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
As Iranian officials have pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, Trump said Sunday that he was asking other countries, including China, for help “policing” the strait. 
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas <a href="https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/eu-weighs-action-strait-hormuz-open-131109449">said</a> Monday the bloc is “discussing” potential actions, noting it is in Europe’s interest to keep the strait open.
Oil prices have surged since the start of Operation Epic Fury on February 28. Brent crude rose above $100 per barrel on Tuesday, while the <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">national average</a> for gasoline reached $3.79 a gallon, up from $2.91 a month ago. 
Trump has said that destroying Iran’s nuclear program would justify higher energy prices.

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Gas Prices

President Donald Trump warned Sunday that NATO&#8217;s future could be at risk if the alliance does not help the United States secure the Strait of Hormuz. 
The comment came as Trump said that he had started reaching out to other countries for help keeping the strait safe from Iranian attacks. Iran has vowed to keep the strait, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes, closed while the war continues. 
“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1ca6d121-760b-4ec5-b6ad-514fdaa94873">told</a> the Financial Times. “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”
Trump echoed those sentiments while flying back to Washington, D.C., on Sunday evening. 
“We are talking to other countries about working with us on the policing of the strait and I think we&#8217;re getting a good response. If we do, that&#8217;s great. And if we don&#8217;t, that&#8217;s great, too,” Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLKD2ulnBF4">told</a> reporters. 
He added that he would like to see NATO step in because of the funding the United States has provided for Ukraine. 
“We&#8217;re always there for NATO. We&#8217;re helping them win Ukraine,” Trump said. “Doesn’t affect us, but we&#8217;ve helped them. It’ll be interesting to see what country wouldn&#8217;t help us with a very small endeavor, which is just keeping the strait open.”
Trump said asking NATO to step in was “small” by comparison because Iran &#8220;has very little firepower left.”
“Really I&#8217;m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory. It&#8217;s the place from which they get their energy and they should come and they should help us protect it,” Trump said. 
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas <a href="https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/eu-weighs-action-strait-hormuz-open-131109449">said</a> Monday the bloc was “discussing” what it could do regarding the strait because it was in Europe&#8217;s interest to keep it open. 
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that he was looking to assist “a viable collective plan” to reopen the strait. He said that the United Kingdom would “not be drawn into the wider war.”
Iran again vowed Monday to keep the strait closed. 
“The Strait of Hormuz will not be open to any country intending to harm Iran,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said. “The armed forces are controlling the transit, and no country will be able to use the Strait of Hormuz to strike against Iran.”
Trump also said he would like to see China get involved and take a role in securing the strait. He noted that China gets roughly 90% of its oil through the strait. Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. 
Global benchmark Brent crude oil rose above $100 per barrel on Monday morning, climbing as high as $106.27. Gas prices across the United States have also risen, with the <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com">national average</a> increasing to $3.71 per gallon from $2.92 a month ago.

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Trump Warns NATO’s Future Could Be ‘Very Bad’ If Allies Refuse To Help Secure Strait Of Hormuz

China

Executive

Iran’s widening war nearly reached NATO’s doorstep after a ballistic missile fired toward Turkey was intercepted before entering Turkish airspace.
During a Pentagon briefing early Wednesday morning, Mary Margaret Olohan, White House correspondent for The Daily Wire, asked War Secretary Pete Hegseth whether the incident could trigger NATO’s collective defense clause known as Article 5.
Hegseth acknowledged the engagement but suggested the alliance does not currently see the incident as meeting the threshold for invoking NATO’s mutual defense provision.
“I&#8217;ll have to get back to you on exactly what the intercept looked like,” Hegseth said. “We&#8217;re aware about that particular engagement. Although, no sense that it would trigger anything like Article 5.”
Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members of the alliance, potentially triggering a collective military response.
According to regional reports, the Iranian missile traveled across Iraqi and Syrian territory before being intercepted over the Eastern Mediterranean by NATO air defense systems. Debris from the intercept reportedly fell into Turkey’s Hatay province near the Syrian border.
Turkey is a NATO member, making the strike particularly sensitive as the United States and Israel continue their joint military campaign against Iran known as Operation Epic Fury.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said it reserves the right to respond to what it described as a hostile act.
Despite the rising tensions, Turkey has maintained a complicated relationship with Iran for years.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has cultivated close diplomatic ties with Tehran while also positioning himself as a defender of Turkish sovereignty in the region. Analysts have long noted that Ankara views the stability of Iran as strategically important, particularly to avoid a refugee crisis along their shared border and to prevent Kurdish militant groups from exploiting instability in the region.
Turkey also relies on Iran for roughly 10% of its natural gas imports and maintains key trade routes with the country.
At the same time, Erdoğan has been sharply critical of Israel during the broader conflict.
He has repeatedly condemned United States and Israeli strikes on Iran as a violation of international law and described the widening regional conflict as a “ring of fire.”
Erdoğan has also been one of Israel’s most vocal critics internationally, frequently accusing the Israeli government of war crimes and refusing to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, instead describing the group as “liberation fighters.”

Erdogan meets Iran’s religious leader Khamenei

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Turkey

Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, confirmed the position of Trump negotiator Steven Witkoff that Iran was on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon.
Commenting on the current U.S-led war on the Iranian regime, Rutte acknowledged, “NATO is not itself involved, but let’s be absolutely clear-eyed to what’s happening here: Iran is close to getting its hands on a nuclear capability and a ballistic missile capability, which is both a threat to not only the region, the Middle East, including posing an existential threat to Israel, but it is also posing a new threat to us here in Europe.”
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NATO&#39;s Rutte on Iran:
Iran is close to getting its hand on a nuclear capability and on a ballistic missile capability. <a href="https://t.co/UF7YAgEy5Y">pic.twitter.com/UF7YAgEy5Y</a>
&mdash; Clash Report (@clashreport) <a href="https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/2028809211170201876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“The fact that Khamenei is now gone, who is responsible for only this year, thousands, potentially 10,000 of people dying because of the Iranian regime,” he stated. “And people were starting to protest against the regime in January. We have seen all that. So I think we are all better off with him gone and with the nuclear and ballistic capability being beaten and degraded as it is, as we speak. I was on the phone with many leaders over the weekend and also early this week, and I clearly sensed that taking out nuclear capability, taking out the ballistic missile capability, and also Khamenei, this is applauded by many of my colleagues in NATO.”
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomes the death of Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ali Khamenei during a visit to North Macedonia <a href="https://t.co/YoGgSgoqVr">pic.twitter.com/YoGgSgoqVr</a>
&mdash; Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/2028865724819644423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Speaking on &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends,&#8221; Rutte noted, “First of all, say that my thoughts are with the service members, the U. S. service members who made the ultimate sacrifice over the last couple of days. And let me also say that the commander-in-chief, the leader of the free world, President Donald J. Trump, I really commend what is happening here, taking out Khamenei, taking out the nuclear capability in Iran, but also taking out the ballistic missile program in Iran. This is crucial.”
“And what I see in Europe — I spoke with all the key European leaders over the weekend — is widespread support for what the president is doing and also making sure that, when it comes to logistics, access, defending key U. S. interests in Europe and in the region, the Europeans are really stepping up.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecGenNATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecGenNATO</a> Mark Rutte: &quot;I really commend what is happening here. Taking out Khamenei&#8230; but also taking out the ballistic missile program in Iran&#8230; I spoke with all the key European leaders over the weekend. [There&#39;s] widespread support for the president&#39;s doing.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/qHsNoSIpjK">pic.twitter.com/qHsNoSIpjK</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2028511246295736794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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