NATO Summit: European allies do not need to worry about US commitment, says Mark Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says European allies do not need to worry about US support for the military bloc. Mr Rutte was speaking ahead of a two-day summit in the Netherlands, where talks are expected to centre on keeping Washington firmly on the bloc's side. Will Denselow reports from The Hague.
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Straits Times
22 minutes ago
- Straits Times
UK to purchase fighter jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons
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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
US strikes may have set back Iran nuclear program only months, sources say
WASHINGTON: A preliminary US intelligence assessment has determined that US strikes over the weekend on Iranian nuclear facilities have set back Tehran's program by only a matter of months, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The initial report was prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's main intelligence arm and one of 18 US intelligence agencies, said two of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss classified matters. The classified assessment is at odds with the statements of President Donald Trump and high-ranking US officials - including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. They have said the weekend strikes, which used a combination of bunker-busting bombs and more conventional weapons, essentially eliminated Iran's nuclear program. Trump has said the attacks were necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies it is seeking such a weapon and says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Hegseth on Sunday said that the strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear ambitions, while Trump said Iran's crucial nuclear sites had been "completely and fully obliterated". Assessing the damage at the Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites is expected to be a difficult task, and the DIA is not the only agency tasked with the job. One source said the assessment was not universally accepted and had generated significant disagreement. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US did not know the extent of the damage yet. Still, the initial assessment indicated the strikes may not have been nearly as successful as the Trump administration has claimed. One of the sources said Iran's enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated, and in fact the country's nuclear program may have been set back only a month or two. The Pentagon disputed the notion that the damage to Iran's nuclear program was minor, though it did not dispute that the DIA assessment exists. "Based on everything we have seen — and I've seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons," Hegseth said in a statement provided to Reuters. "Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target—and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in a statement to CNN, which first reported the intelligence assessment, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the conclusion was incorrect. "This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong," Leavitt said, according to CNN. "Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration." Initial military assessments can change as more information comes to light, and it is not uncommon for opinions to vary across different US intelligence agencies. Democrats have previously said Trump's claims that the weekend strikes eliminated or seriously set back Iran's nuclear program were not yet backed by evidence. "There's zero evidence that I've seen that the nuclear program was completely and totally obliterated as Donald Trump has claimed," House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump rattles Nato allies over Article Five clause as he descends on summit
US President Donald Trump arriving for a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander on June 24, ahead of the two-day Nato summit in the Netherlands. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump rattles Nato allies over Article Five clause as he descends on summit THE HAGUE - US President Donald Trump swept into Nato's Hague summit on June 24, with allies hoping a pledge to ramp up defence spending will keep the mercurial leader of the military superpower committed to protecting them. Mr Trump joined leaders from Nato's 31 other members to kick off the two-day gathering with a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander in the ornate Orange Hall at his royal residence. The alliance hopes to keep Mr Trump bound to its mutual defence vow by meeting his demand for a headline figure of 5 per cent of GDP on defence spending. But Mr Trump refused to say he was committed to Nato's Article Five clause and protecting Europe in comments that will likely rattle his counterparts on the continent. 'Depends on your definition. There's numerous definitions of Article Five,' Mr Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One. 'I'm committed to being their friend.' To keep Mr Trump on board, Nato's 32 countries have thrashed out a compromise deal to dedicate 3.5 per cent to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5 per cent to broader security-related areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure. Nato says the military build-up is crucial to deter Russia, which officials warn is rapidly rebuilding its forces depleted by the war in Ukraine and could be ready to attack the alliance in five years. But it is just as important for keeping Mr Trump engaged as Washington warns it may shift forces from Europe to face the threat from China. 'They're going to be lifting it to 5 per cent, that's good,' Mr Trump said. 'It gives them much more power.' But while the promise of more spending could win Mr Trump over, deep divisions remain over the approach to Europe's key security issue: Russia's war in Ukraine. Mr Trump said he would probably meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky while in The Hague, with Kyiv hoping it can avoid a repeat of the pair's infamous Oval Office bust-up. 'Radical uncertainty' European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told an audience in The Hague that Nato's 'historic' spending pledge showed that 'the Europe of defence has finally awakened'. Alliance leaders meanwhile – many of whom are struggling to find the money that will be required – lined up to argue that the threats facing the continent required bold steps. 'We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility,' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in announcing the UK's commitment to meet the target. Powerhouse Germany announced plans to hit the 3.5 per cent figure for core defence needs by 2029 – six years before the timeline. At the other end of the scale, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has risked Mr Trump's ire by insisting his country doesn't have to meet the 5 per cent target. US President Donald Trump (front row, fourth from left) posing for a family photo with fellow Nato leaders, as well as the Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, upon his arrival for the Nato summit on June 24. PHOTO: AFP For its part, the Kremlin attacked Nato for its 'rampant militarisation', with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: 'This is the reality that surrounds us.' Trump-Zelensky meeting Since storming back to power, Mr Trump has upended the West's approach to the three-year conflict by turning his back on Kyiv and opening the door to closer ties with Moscow. Mr Zelensky was set to play less of a central role than at recent Nato gatherings and will not attend the main working session. But Ukraine's president said he would discuss with Mr Trump buying a package of weapons made up mainly of air defences. Mr Zelensky would also push Mr Trump on imposing new sanctions on Russia as Moscow has stalled peace efforts being pressed by Washington, Kyiv said. 'There are no signs that Putin wants to stop this war. Russia rejects all peace proposals including those from the US. Putin only thinks about war,' the Ukrainian leader told a defence forum held alongside the summit. Mr Rutte said allies would send the message that support for Kyiv was 'unwavering and will persist'. But despite his insistence that Ukraine's bid for membership remains 'irreversible', Nato will avoid any mention of Kyiv's push to join after Mr Trump ruled it out. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
