Israel, Iran conflict could restart 'perhaps soon': Donald Trump at Nato

Speaking at the Nato summit in The Hague, Trump said both Israel and Iran seem fatigued but warned that renewed conflict remains a possibility amid regional volatility

United States (US) President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that the conflict between Israel and Iran could restart “perhaps soon”, even as both countries appear weary of continued hostilities, Reuters reported.

 

Speaking at a news conference during the annual North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) summit in The Hague, Trump said, "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."

 

Trump also disclosed that US and Iranian officials would engage in talks next week, picking up a dialogue that had stalled amid the recent hostilities. “I'll tell you what, we're going to talk with them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don't know,” he said.

 

"The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done,” he said, adding that he believed US strikes had already dismantled Iran’s nuclear programme. “Iran has huge advantage, but I don’t see them getting back involved in nuclear.”

 

His remarks come in the wake of a temporary lull in direct confrontation between the two regional rivals. Over the past few months, tensions escalated sharply following strikes on nuclear facilities and retaliatory attacks, but a US-brokered ceasefire has so far held for the past two days.

 

On the Russia-Ukraine conflict

 

Trump also addressed the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, saying he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon about ways to end the conflict. This followed his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit.

 

“Zelenskyy would like to end the war,” Trump said. “I’ll speak to Putin soon.”

 

When asked about Washington’s support for Ukraine’s defence, Trump said it remains undecided. “We’ll see what happens on whether the US will contribute money for defence of Ukraine,” he said, adding that the possibility of making Patriot missiles available to Kyiv was also under consideration.

 

Nato summit calls for greater European defence responsibility

 

Turning to the Nato deliberations, Trump said “tremendous things” had been achieved at the summit. He reiterated his longstanding call for Nato allies to take on more responsibility for Europe’s defence. “Additional money should be spent on military hardware,” he stated.

 

Trump has consistently pushed for increased defence spending from Nato’s European members, arguing that the US should not bear a disproportionate share of the burden.

 

The Nato members have agreed to invest 5 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) in defence, up from the current goal of 2 per cent. However, some countries, led by Spain, have questioned whether they will need to spend so much to meet the new ambitious lists of weapons and troops that each needs to provide as part of its Nato commitment.

 

The summit’s discussions have taken place against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical instability, including the Israel-Iran conflict and wider security concerns in the Middle East.  (With inputs from Reuters.)