At NATO summit, Trump signals Iran nuclear deal, discusses Ukraine
6 Min Read
US President Donald Trump confirms upcoming nuclear talks with Iran and discusses Ukraine support and NATO obligations.
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US President Donald Trump (R) and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth leave at the end of a press conference during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague, on June 25, 2025 (AFP)
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States would hold nuclear talks with Iran next week, raising the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough following recent US and Israeli aggression that he claimed had crippled Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Speaking to reporters, Trump credited the US strikes with the "total obliteration" of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, asserting that the country’s nuclear program had been set back "decades".
However, leaked US intelligence assessments suggest a more limited impact, estimating a delay of only a few months to Iran's nuclear development.
The announcement comes after a ceasefire agreement was reached on Tuesday, following 12 days of war during which "Israel" bombed Iranian nuclear and military targets.
Iran retaliated with waves of missile strikes. The United States joined the war in support of "Israel", targeting three nuclear facilities with bunker-buster bombs and a guided missile from a submarine.
Read more: Iran slams NATO chief remarks on US strikes as 'disgraceful'
Trump hints deal with Iran could be signed
"They’re not going to be building bombs for a long time," Trump said about Iran. "We may sign an agreement. I don’t know."
He later told reporters that "Israel" and Iran were "both tired, exhausted."
"I mean, they had a war, they fought, now they’re going back to their world," he added.
On possible talks, Trump said, "We're going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement. I don't know. To me, I don't think it's that necessary."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Iran was open to returning to nuclear talks, while reaffirming the country's right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy.
Trump also said that while "Israel" and Iran are tired, the war between the two countries could start again.
"I dealt with both and they're both tired, exhausted... and can it start again? I guess someday, it can. It could maybe start soon," the US president told reporters.
Trump compares strikes on Iran to Hiroshima bombing
At the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump compared the strikes on Iran to the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
"Actually, if you look at Hiroshima, if you look at Nagasaki, you know that ended a war too," he said. "This ended a war in a different way, but it was so devastating."
Trump continued to defend the use of bunker-busting bombs on Iran's underground Fordow nuclear site, despite US intelligence suggesting only limited success. “Was it bad? It was really bad,” he said. “It was obliterated.”
Trump believes Iran won't re-engage in nuclear activity
He also expressed doubt that Iran would reengage in nuclear weapons development. Tehran has consistently rejected Western accusations spanning decades that it seeks to build nuclear arms.
"I’ll tell you, the last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now. They want to recover," Trump said, adding that he believed Tehran would opt for a diplomatic course.
If Iran tries to rebuild its nuclear program, "We won’t let that happen. Number one, militarily we won't," he said, adding that he thought "we'll end up having something of a relationship with Iran" to resolve the issue.
US may ease Iran oil sanctions for reconstruction
Additionally, Trump indicated that while the US had not abandoned its "maximum pressure" strategy, there could be a softening of enforcement around oil sanctions to aid in Iran’s reconstruction.
“They’re going to need money to put that country back into shape. We want to see that happen,” he said at a NATO Summit press conference.
Earlier, Trump suggested China could continue purchasing Iranian oil post-ceasefire, though the White House later clarified this was not a policy shift.
Trump considers more Patriot missiles for Ukraine
During the NATO summit, Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and signaled a willingness to send additional Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine amid escalating Russian attacks.
Trump said the advanced air-defense systems are "very hard to get," but the US would explore ways to make them available.
Zelensky described the 50-minute meeting as "long and substantive," focused on achieving a ceasefire and "real peace".
Trump added he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin soon. "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war," he said.
'As far as money going'
Trump left the door open to the possibility of increasing military support to Ukraine, which has been struggling to contain recent Russian gains on the battlefield.
Until now, he had shown no intention of resuming the flow of weapons to Kiev, a policy initiated by his predecessor, Joe Biden, following the start of the war with Russia in 2022.
When asked whether the United States would provide additional funding for Ukraine’s defense this year, Trump responded, “As far as money going, we’ll see what happens.”
US-produced Patriot missile systems have played a vital role in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, which have struck Ukrainian cities with growing frequency in recent weeks.
Ahead of his meeting on Wednesday, Zelensky stated that Ukraine is prepared to purchase more Patriot systems if the US is unwilling to supply them directly.
"Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelensky posted on X. "We also discussed the potential for co-producing drones. We can strengthen one another."
Trump vows Spain will pay twice as much for a trade deal
Trump also targeted Spain during his NATO summit remarks, criticizing Madrid’s failure to meet NATO’s new 5% GDP defense spending goal.
He said the US will make Spain pay twice as much for a trade deal after the country's refusal to meet the NATO defense spending target.
NATO leaders backed a substantial increase in defense spending on Wednesday that Trump had demanded, but Spain declared that it does not need to meet the goal and can meet its commitments by spending much less.
Trump called Madrid's decision "very terrible" and pledged to force the country to make up the difference.
"We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We're going to make them pay twice as much," he said.
As a member of the European Union, Spain does not negotiate directly with the US on trade; rather, the European Commission handles the talks for the entire 27-nation bloc.
