U.S. to press allies to bolster counterterrorism efforts under new strategy

Politics U.S. to press allies to bolster counterterrorism efforts under new strategy By Jennifer Jacobs, Jennifer Jacobs Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News. Read Full Bio Jennifer Jacobs, Kathryn Watson Kathryn Watson Politics Reporter Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kathryn Watson May 6, 2026 / 12:03 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — U.S. counterterrorism officials will meet with international partners on Friday to ask how allies can boost efforts to combat terrorist threats, especially from Iran and in the Strait of Hormuz, a White House official said.A new counterterrorism strategy, signed by President Trump on Tuesday, seeks to crack down on Islamist terror groups, drug cartels and violent domestic political groups. Seb Gorka, the senior director for counterterrorism at the White House National Security Council, told reporters that the U.S. will be seeking more from allied countries that want to be viewed as "serious" nations. "We have a very simple metric: if you want to be measured as a serious nation, whether it is protecting tankers in the Strait of Hormuz or whether it is working against jihadi threats in the Sahel of Africa, we expect more from you. The idea that there is one hyper-power in the world, America, and it will protect all from every threat, is untenable. We reject the concept of global police officer," Gorka said. "We will be discussing the new counterterrorism strategy and working together to say, 'OK, how can you step up to the plate in ways which complement what we wish to achieve?'" Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the President and senior director for counterterrorism, at the White House on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images Gorka outlined the United States' new 16-page strategy, saying it prioritizes drug cartels and Islamist terror groups, as well...