Trump heads to NATO summit furious as Iran ceasefire dampens war plans
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Trump’s abrupt announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the Israeli entity has taken everyone by surprise, including his top officials.
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US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on June 24, 2025 (AP)
US President Donald Trump has long shown disdain for the routine and rhetoric of international summits, endless sessions packed with diplomatic platitudes and lofty aspirations that rarely translate into concrete outcomes, Rob Crilly writes in The Telegraph.
Last week, the president made an early exit from the G7 summit, and sources reported his breaking point came during a session on wildfires, while Trump’s focus had already shifted to the Middle East, where he was reportedly weighing a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Now, Trump is en route to his first NATO summit since dramatically walking out of the 2019 gathering near Watford, an event marked by private mockery from fellow world leaders.
This summit, however, was meant to mark a triumphant return, with his B-2 bombers executing their alleged mission without dragging Washington into a prolonged war in the region. Despite international unease over the legality of Saturday’s strikes on Iran, Trump had hoped to arrive as a bold, decisive leader who had flexed American military power with precision.
Now with a ceasefire between "Israel" and Iran declared overnight, this shows that his war plans have been dampened.
This, Crilly contends, had Trump reportedly seething as he departed for the NATO summit. What was meant to be a victory lap now appeared uncertain, his anticipated moment of dominance on the world stage suddenly clouded by controversy and questions about the broader fallout of his actions.
Trump’s surprise ceasefire shakes US officials, allies: NYT
Trump’s abrupt announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the Israeli entity has taken his top officials by surprise, according to a senior White House official cited by The New York Times on Monday.
The unnamed official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was involved in the negotiations that led to the ceasefire.
Trump made the announcement shortly after 6 pm Eastern Time. However, senior members of his administration were reportedly unaware of the final decision. In a sign of the uncertainty surrounding the agreement, "Israel" launched additional strikes on Iranian targets just three hours after Trump’s statement.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had reportedly spent two months in direct and indirect talks with Iranian officials in an attempt to reach an accord allegedly aimed at "curbing Iran's nuclear program." It is worth noting that Iran has consistently reaffirmed the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, emphasizing that it operates under the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and remains subject to international monitoring and inspections.
