Trump declares Iran ceasefire ‘over,’ threatens to cut trade with Spain at NATO summit

The NATO summit in Ankara, originally designed to showcase European defense spending progress and alliance solidarity, was thrown into disarray as the United States launched overnight strikes on more than 80 targets in Iran and President Donald Trump publicly castigated allies for failing to support Washington's war effort.

Trump Lashes Out at Allies

Trump declared he was "very disappointed with NATO" on the opening day of the two-day summit on Tuesday, singling out Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain for what he called a refusal to back the United States during the Iran conflict. He reserved his sharpest words for Spain, threatening to sever all trade between the two countries and calling it a "terrible" partner.aljazeera+5

The president's broadside dashed European hopes that the Ankara gathering would demonstrate renewed transatlantic unity. Trump told reporters he might not have attended the summit at all were it not for his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.politico+1

U.S. Strikes on Iran Escalate

U.S. Central Command confirmed late Tuesday that American forces struck more than 80 locations inside Iran, targeting defense systems, command networks, and anti-ship missile capabilities, as well as more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon said the strikes were a direct response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the waterway.cnn+1

Iran's military retaliated on Wednesday, launching strikes against U.S. installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Trump subsequently declared that the preliminary ceasefire agreement signed three weeks earlier was "over".nytimes+2

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte backed the American military action, calling the overnight strikes "absolutely necessary" as leaders gathered for the summit's second day on Wednesday.jpost+2

Defense Deals Fail to Ease Tensions

In a bid to demonstrate that Europe was heeding Trump's spending demands, NATO allies unveiled defense industry contracts worth at least $50 billion. The deals included $12 billion for next-generation drones, surveillance planes, and military aircraft, with seven allies committing to purchase Airbus A400M transport planes. Rutte also announced that allies would invest more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over five years.bloomberg+1

Despite these efforts, the summit's second day remained dominated by the spiraling Iran crisis and Trump's threat that the ceasefire was finished — leaving European leaders scrambling to manage an alliance under unprecedented strain.