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Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at the United States<\/strong> threatening to leave NATO<\/strong>, how global markets are reacting to the energy crisis<\/strong>, and a joint Japan-France<\/strong> effort to bolster critical mineral cooperation.<\/p>\n U.S. President Donald Trump is considering trying to pull the United States out of NATO over its members\u2019 unwillingness to join the Iran war<\/a>. \u201cI was never swayed by NATO,\u201d Trump told the Telegraph<\/em><\/a> on Wednesday. He called the alliance a \u201cpaper tiger\u201d for refusing to help U.S. forces reopen the Strait of Hormuz and said that U.S. membership is now \u201cbeyond reconsideration.\u201d<\/p>\n This is not the first time that Trump has lashed out at U.S. allies over the Iran war. On Tuesday, he warned<\/a> countries struggling to acquire jet fuel due to the ongoing energy crisis, such as the United Kingdom, that they\u2019ll \u201chave to start learning how to fight for yourself.\u201d He added that \u201cthe U.S.A. won\u2019t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren\u2019t there for us.\u201d U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had a similar message<\/a>, declining on Tuesday to reaffirm Washington\u2019s commitment to NATO\u2019s Article 5 mutual defense clause.<\/p>\n Trump is expected to state that he is considering leaving NATO during a nationwide address<\/a> on the Iran war at 9 p.m. local time in Washington. However, under U.S. law, the president does not have the unilateral authority to do this. In 2023, Congress approved legislation that prevents any U.S. president from \u201csuspending, terminating, denouncing, or withdrawing\u201d from NATO without an act of Congress or a resolution passed by two-thirds of the Senate. Then-Sen. Marco Rubio (who now serves as Trump\u2019s secretary of state) co-sponsored the bill, which then-President Joe Biden signed into law as a clause in that year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act.<\/p>\n \u201cNATO serves as an essential military alliance that protects shared national interests and enhances America\u2019s international presence. Any decision to leave the alliance should be rigorously debated and considered by the U.S. Congress with the input of the American people,\u201d Rubio said<\/a> when he introduced the bill.<\/p>\n Rubio appeared to refute his own views late Tuesday, telling Fox News<\/a> that \u201cultimately, that\u2019s a decision for the president to make.\u201d He acknowledged that he\u2019d been \u201cone of the strongest defenders of NATO\u201d during his time in Congress, but he said that \u201cafter this conflict is concluded \u2026 we\u2019re going to have to reexamine the value of NATO and that alliance for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n Several NATO members have refused to get directly involved in the Iran war, with some going so far as to prevent U.S. forces from using their bases<\/a> to attack Iran\u2014a fact that Rubio specifically cited in his comments on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not our war, and we\u2019re not going to get dragged into it,\u201d British Prime Minister Keir Starmer<\/a> said on Wednesday. He stressed that \u201cNATO is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen\u201d and warned<\/a> that London\u2019s increasingly volatile relationship with Washington could force the United Kingdom to prioritize closer ties with the rest of Europe.<\/p>\n Such rebukes have not stopped Trump from touting the U.S. military\u2019s successes. A White House official told the Daily Wire<\/em><\/a> on Wednesday that Trump is expected to give an \u201coperational update on the progress of Operation Epic Fury, which is meeting or exceeding all of its benchmarks,\u201d during his 9 p.m. address. This comes despite a lack of evidence<\/a> that U.S. or Israeli forces have destroyed Iran\u2019s stockpile of near-bomb-grade fuel.<\/p>\n During the address, Trump is also expected to reiterate his prediction of a two- to three-week timeline to end the war. On Wednesday, Trump claimed<\/a> that Tehran had \u201cjust asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!\u201d He added that the United States will consider this offer \u201cwhen Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!\u201d<\/p>\n Yet, Iranian officials have denied Trump\u2019s claim. \u201cThe Strait of Hormuz will certainly reopen, but not for you,\u201d Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian Parliament\u2019s National Security Commission, wrote<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n Tehran\u2019s comment came as Iran and its Lebanese proxy group Hezbollah launched what Israeli media said was the biggest combined<\/a> missile attack on Israel since the war began on Feb. 28. The attack occurred in concurrence with the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover.<\/p>\n Oil and gas pressures. <\/strong>Financial markets rallied<\/a> on Wednesday ahead of Trump\u2019s 9 p.m. address while oil futures fell, with Brent crude trading at around $101 a barrel by Wednesday afternoon. The shifts reflected investors\u2019 hope that the Iran war\u2014and the global energy crisis that it has caused\u2014could wind down soon, based on reports that both Washington and Tehran may be seeking an off-ramp.<\/p>\n There also seems to be some movement among countries besides the United States and Israel to try to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Arab officials told the Wall Street Journal<\/em><\/a> on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates is preparing to help Washington reopen the strategic waterway by force, including by lobbying for the United Nations Security Council to issue a resolution that would authorize such action. The United Kingdom is also reportedly<\/a> convening a virtual meeting of U.S. allies in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as Canada, to discuss diplomatic ways to push Tehran to reopen the strait.<\/p>\n Still, many nations are bracing for the energy crunch to continue. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encouraged residents to take public transit in a rare televised address<\/a> on Wednesday. \u201cThe economic shocks caused by this war will be with us for \u200bmonths,\u201d Albanese said, adding that Australians should \u201cdo their bit\u201d to ease pressure on the country\u2019s fuel supplies. The European Commission also asked its members this week to consider reducing<\/a> their oil and gas use.<\/p>\n Rare-earths road map. <\/strong>Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted<\/a> French President Emmanuel Macron in Tokyo on Wednesday, during which the two leaders agreed to bolster collaboration on critical minerals. Specifically, they announced plans for Tokyo\u2019s Iwatani gas firm and state-owned Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security to invest in a rare-earths refining project in southern France. Operations are expected to begin later this year.<\/p>\n The deal is particularly vital for Japan, which is still reeling from China\u2019s decision in February to prohibit dual-use exports to 20 Japanese entities that Beijing claims are supplying Japan\u2019s military. \u201cWe cannot rely solely \u200bon specific countries, especially China,\u201d French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said.<\/p>\n The two leaders also agreed<\/a> on Wednesday to strengthen defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, called for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East, and prepared to sign off on 12 joint space-related projects that include debris removal and rocket launches.<\/p>\n \u201cAmid an increasingly severe international security environment, cooperation with like-minded countries has never been more important for the peace and prosperity of our nations and the region,\u201d Takaichi said<\/a>.<\/p>\n Moscow\u2019s battlefield gains. <\/strong>The Russian Defense Ministry claimed<\/a> on Wednesday that its forces have taken full control of Ukraine\u2019s Luhansk region, pushing Moscow a step closer to fully seizing the coveted Donbas area<\/a>; Luhansk is one of two regions (alongside Donetsk) that makes up the Donbas. Russian forces captured<\/a> more than 99 percent of Luhansk following Moscow\u2019s full-scale invasion in 2022. This meant that only a sliver of the territory was left for Russia to take.<\/p>\n Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Kyiv should have withdrawn its forces \u2060from the Donbas area \u201cyesterday\u201d to end what Moscow calls the \u201chot phase\u201d of the war, and he reiterated that Ukraine must relinquish control of the entire region. Kyiv has repeatedly dismissed such demands, and on Wednesday, a Ukrainian military spokesperson denied Russia\u2019s latest advances, telling Reuters<\/a> that no battlefield changes have been made in the area in the past six months.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, a Russian military transport plane crashed<\/a> in southern Crimea on Tuesday, killing all 29 people on board. Moscow\u2019s Defense Ministry said the aircraft\u2014a Soviet-designed Antonov An-26 that is often used to carry cargo and personnel\u2014appeared to have no sign of external damage when it crashed into a cliff, suggesting that the plane was not hit by a drone or missile. Instead, investigators said on Wednesday that a technical malfunction appears to have caused the incident.<\/p>\n They say the third time\u2019s the charm! After two attempts to create an Asia edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, the competition\u2019s organizers announced<\/a> on Tuesday that an Asia offshoot will finally broadcast in Bangkok on Nov. 14. Ten countries have agreed to participate: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Each nation will hold a televised contest to determine who advances to the final round, and the winner will get the chance to sing at the main Eurovision event.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nA \u2018Paper Tiger\u2019 Alliance?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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