Trump to 'punish' Britain and NATO allies with audit for Iran war 'failures'
President Trump has reportedly threatened the UK with an audit to decide whether it should be punished for not assisting the US in the war with Iran.
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NATO members have faced pressure to step up military support to help secure the Strait of Hormuz but now nations may face consequences for disappointing Trump, The Times report.
The President's plans to punish and reward allies are under discussion but one option is to move US troops out of countries deemed to be "less supportive."
The growing tension between the US and NATO comes as Sir Keir Starmer voiced his strongest criticism yet of Trump, saying he was "fed up" with the effect the US leader’s actions had on pushing up UK energy bills.
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However, the two leaders spoke on Thursday about "the need for a practical plan to get shipping moving again as quickly as possible" through the shipping route.
The US is said to be planning to audit every member’s contribution to the war effort before deciding who would face a "reckoning," a source told the newspaper.
Trump has hit out at NATO on multiple occasions throughout the war, most recently blasting the alliance as a "paper tiger."
Asked about the audit, a White House spokesperson referred to comments by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who said last week: "Why are we in Nato? You have to ask that question.
"Why do we send trillions of dollars and have all of these American forces stationed in the region, if in our time of need we won’t be allowed to use those bases?"
Speaking to the Reagan Institute in Washington, Rubio said NATO had been "tested and failed" and that some allies were slow to respond because Trump had left them out of the loop on his plans.
He said: "Part of the explanation is the fact that the President wanted to maintain the element of surprise, which I totally understand, but that also meant that there was not a lot of prior consultation so then they had to scramble to understand what was happening and then to step up.
"When it comes to the Strait of Hormuz it was Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, who took the leadership role here."
Despite Trump being critical of the British response to the conflict, officials believe the UK had a relatively good record during the conflict, including allowing the use of British bases for defensive airstrikes.
It is believed that Spain is viewed as the most vulnerable and France is considered to be underperforming, when it comes to nations facing possible action from the US.