US President Donald Trump said he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after the alliance failed to join the attacks on Iran, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

When asked if he would reconsider America's membership in the alliance after the conflict, he said the question is "beyond reconsideration," adding: "I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger."

Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with NATO for "not being there," saying it was "actually hard to believe."

Singling out Britain, he said the country has "aircraft carriers that didn't work," suggesting that the British navy is inadequate for the task.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said before the interview that the United States would have to "re-examine" its NATO membership after the conflict, the report said.

"If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they're attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that's not a very good arrangement. That's a hard one to stay engaged in," the report quoted Rubio as saying.

Trump told The Telegraph he was "glad" about Rubio's comments.

Britain says it will act in national interest

Following Trump's criticism, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is not changing his position on the war.

At a press conference at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, Starmer said there had been "a good deal of pressure" on him to change his stance on joining the war, but that he would not do so.

"Whatever the pressure, whatever the noise, I am the British prime minister and I have to act in our national interests," he said.

The prime minister added that he would not choose between Europe and the United States.

"But I do think that when it comes to defense and security, energy emissions and the economy, we need a stronger relationship with Europe," he said.

Multiple European countries have kept their distance from the conflict with Iran. Starmer on Monday said his country will not get dragged into the conflict "whatever the pressure and whoever it's coming from," while Spain on Monday closed its airspace to all flights related to the US and Israeli military strikes on Iran.

(With input from Xinhua)