Trump's Playing with Fire Iran, Israel, and a NATO Summit on the Brink

Trump to Attend NATO Summit Days After US Strikes on Iran and With a Ceasefire in Hand

President Donald Trump embarked on a trip to The Hague, Netherlands, early Tuesday for the NATO summit, a visit shadowed by recent dramatic events. Just days ago, he authorized U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and mere hours before his departure, he announced a ceasefire in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. This marks Trump's first encounter with European U.S. allies since his return to the White House in January.

The situation is undeniably tense. On the eve of Trump's departure, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against a U.S. base in Qatar. Trump addressed this incident on Monday, stating that:

• 13 missiles were successfully intercepted.
• One missile missed its target.
• "NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done."
• Iran provided the U.S. with "early notice."

Shortly after, Trump announced the hard-won ceasefire on his social media platform:

"This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn't, and never will!"

However, despite the ceasefire agreement, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with both Israel and Iran to ABC News as he left the White House, stating he is “not happy” with either party after reported exchanges marred the initial hours of the truce. He specifically accused both nations of violating the newly established agreement.

“Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a boat load of bombs the likes of which I've never seen before,” Trump said. “The biggest load that we've seen, I'm not happy with Israel.”

“OK, when I say now you have 12 hours, you don't go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them,” the president added. “So, I'm not happy with him. I'm not happy with Iran either.”

Trump was particularly critical of Israel's response to what he described as a single errant rocket, referring to allegations (denied by Tehran) of Iranian missile fire after the ceasefire took effect.

The conflict's shadow is expected to loom large over the NATO summit, echoing its impact on the recent G7 summit in Canada, which Trump left prematurely to address the escalating crisis.

The President's itinerary is tight:

• Departure for the Netherlands: Early Tuesday morning.
• Arrival in the Netherlands: Tuesday evening, followed by a formal dinner at the Netherlands Royal Palace with the King and Queen and a NATO family photo.
• NATO Summit: Wednesday, including another NATO family photo, remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and a plenary session with NATO leaders.
• Bilateral Meetings: A few hours dedicated to meetings with world leaders (specifics to be determined).
• Press Conference: Where Trump will likely face questions regarding the strikes on Iran and their consequences.
• Return to the U.S.: Wednesday evening.

Trump's key objective at the summit is to secure a commitment from all NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product. This has been a longstanding priority for Trump, who has consistently argued that the U.S. bears an unfair burden in defending its allies, even suggesting a potential withdrawal of support for nations not meeting their financial obligations.

While advisors express confidence in achieving the 5% threshold, some nations, such as Spain, have negotiated alternative agreements to remain within NATO while contributing a lower percentage of their GDP (2.1% in Spain's case).

Other goals for the conference include urging alliance members to revitalize their industrial capacities for critical minerals and weapons, and reaffirming commitment to allies through bilateral meetings.

The backdrop of the summit is further complicated by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which Trump claims would not have occurred had he remained in office, blaming Ukraine's NATO aspirations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s involvement at this year's summit is expected to be limited.

This summit marks Trump's re-engagement with NATO after his criticisms during his first term. With the Middle East conflict casting a long shadow, the world will be watching closely to see how Trump's "America First" policy will manifest and impact U.S. alliances on the global stage. The summit provides a crucial opportunity to observe the evolving dynamics between the U.S. and its allies in an era of unprecedented global challenges.

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-attend-nato-summit-days-after-us-strikes/story?id=123135554