The Brief – NATO on the rocks?

Welcome to a new edition of our ‘Brief’, a wrap-up of today’s top stories. 

Trump rounds on NATO

The transatlantic alliance faces an existential rupture, after Donald Trump upped the ante on his push for allies to get behind the US, Israeli campaign in Iran. In a torrent of social media posts and statements by the president and other government officials, the White House slated European allies and floated withdrawal from the alliance.

The implications of such a move would be severe for Europe, analysts warn, destroying the most important military alliance in modern history.

Relations with the US have been exacerbated by the refusal of some countries to allow the US access to bases in Europe. “If NATO simply means that we defend Europe in the event of an attack, but it denies us stationing rights when we need them, then that’s not a very good deal,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera.

US forces have historically made use of 31 permanent bases and 19 other…