President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran officially over upon his arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara, launching into an angry broadside that encompassed complaints about the military alliance, a renewed demand for Greenland, and a threat to cut off all trade with Spain.
Sitting alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the US president branded Iran’s leadership as “scum” and “sick people,” adding, “They’re led by sick people and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.” Despite this strong declaration, he noted that US negotiators still wished to continue talks.
This announcement followed overnight US strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz. The US also revoked a temporary sanctions waiver that allowed Tehran to export oil, actions taken after Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels on Tuesday.
European leaders had anticipated a difficult summit meeting on Wednesday morning, concerned about Trump’s mood after a NATO dinner on Tuesday night and the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. Their concerns were confirmed as Trump began a 15-minute diatribe next to Rutte, starting with Iran and revisiting long-standing grievances from a year-long war with Iran, which had led to a hike in oil prices, a loss of control in Hormuz, and an unresolved nuclear issue.
Trump expressed significant displeasure with NATO, stating, “I’m very upset with Nato, that we pay far, far too much. Billions and billions of dollars, too much, because it’s unfair, because we’re protecting them, so we protect them, but they’re not there for us.” This came despite an agreement last year by all members, except Spain, to increase national defence budgets to 3.5% of gross domestic product by 2035, aiming to align European and Canadian spending with that of the US.
Madrid faced particular ire for its rejection of the 3.5% target. Trump told Rutte, “Spain doesn’t agree to anything, and you shouldn’t carry them.” He then turned to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, declaring, “I don’t want to do any trade with them, alright?” to which Bessent replied, “Yes, sir.”
The president also renewed his claim on Greenland, calling it “a big problem for us” and “very important for the United States, but it’s not important for Denmark.”
The UK also received a specific jibe from Trump, who complained that it initially withheld permission for the US to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for bombing missions in Iran. “The United Kingdom wouldn’t let us use the island for two weeks, so we had to fly back,” Trump said, reiterating complaints made against British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Britain in the spring, as the Iran war continued without the Tehran regime collapsing.
Initially, Rutte attempted to defuse Trump’s anger through a combination of flattery and interruptions, even praising Trump for succeeding where President Dwight Eisenhower had failed in persuading allies to boost defence spending. “You did what [President Dwight] Eisenhower tried to do,” Rutte said, adding, “It’s your win.” Trump, interrupting, responded, “That’s why I like him.” However, Trump’s anger reignited when a journalist directly asked if the Iran ceasefire was over.
NATO leaders had worked to “Trump-proof” the Ankara summit by agreeing on a short draft communique in advance, which is expected to reiterate the alliance’s commitment to mutual self-defence. A report from Bloomberg, however, suggested that NATO might not hold a summit in 2027, hoping to avoid a repeat of the outbursts that dominated this year’s summit. The current summit was intended to showcase over $50 billion (£37.5 billion) in joint arms procurements, demonstrating NATO members’ bolstered defence spending to deter Russian aggression.
