Trump warns NATO faces 'very serious examining' after failing to help in Iran conflict

US President Donald Trump warned late Sunday that NATO will face "very serious examining" after expressing deep disappointment in the alliance for failing to support the United States during its war against Iran.

"I'm very disappointed in NATO," Trump told reporters after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, adding: "They weren't there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren't there for us."

"Remember what I said. NATO was not there. Now they want to come up, but there's no real threat anymore. But NATO was not there for us," he said.

Trump also questioned the broader purpose of the alliance and said the US "spent trillions of dollars on NATO to help them guard, really against Russia."

"I long thought it was a little ridiculous," he added.

Trump warned that the alliance's role is "going to be under very serious examining."