NATO summit erupts as Trump brands CNN and New York Times ‘fake news’ for questioning success of nuclear strikes – while warning Iran: ‘We’ll do it again’
Donald Trump has sensationally threatened to unleash America’s military might on Iran for a second time if Tehran dares rebuild its nuclear programme – while launching an extraordinary pre-dawn attack on media “scum” for questioning his weekend bombing blitz.
The president’s fury boiled over at 4am Netherlands time as he fired off an all-caps tirade from the NATO summit, branding CNN and The New York Times “fake news” for reporting that his bunker-buster assault may have only set back Iran’s atomic ambitions by mere months.
When reporters at the high-stakes Brussels gathering asked if America would strike again should Iran restart enrichment, Trump’s response was chillingly simple: “Sure.”
The one-word warning sent shockwaves through the summit – making crystal clear that Saturday’s “Operation Midnight Hammer” could be just the opening salvo in a wider campaign.
The 4am meltdown
While world leaders slept ahead of crucial NATO talks, Trump was wide awake and seething over leaked intelligence assessments suggesting his celebrated strikes hadn’t delivered the knockout blow he’d claimed.
Taking to Truth Social in the early hours, the president let rip: “FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY.
The leaked documents had dared to suggest that dropping 14 massive bunker-busters on Iran’s underground facilities might have only delayed – not destroyed – Tehran’s nuclear dreams.
‘Total obliteration’ or minor setback?
Trump’s insistence that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s enrichment capabilities stands in stark contrast to the leaked assessment, which reportedly concluded the damage would delay Iran’s programme by just a couple of months.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rushed to her boss’s defence, dismissing the intelligence leak as a “clear attempt to demean President Trump.
“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,” she declared, echoing the president’s bullish assessment.
But even Israel – America’s partner in the anti-Iran offensive – struck a more cautious note, with military sources admitting it’s “still too early to determine the results of the strikes.
‘Scum’ and fury
The president’s volcanic press conference at NATO saw him reserve particular venom for the journalists who’d broken the story, branding them “scum” for their coverage.
It’s a familiar Trump tactic – when faced with inconvenient facts, shoot the messenger. But the timing and intensity of his attack, coming during a crucial international summit, raised eyebrows among allies.
The leaked intelligence assessment has clearly touched a nerve, threatening to undermine Trump’s victory lap over what he’d hailed as one of history’s most successful military operations.
Iran in the crosshairs
Saturday’s strikes saw B-2 stealth bombers drop their deadly cargo on three key Iranian nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The massive Massive Ordnance Penetrators, each weighing 30,000 pounds, are designed to burrow deep underground before detonating.
Trump had celebrated with typical fanfare, declaring Iran’s nuclear programme “obliterated” and posting triumphant messages as the bombers returned safely to base.
But if the leaked assessments are accurate, Tehran could be back in the uranium enrichment business within weeks rather than years.
‘Sure, we’ll hit them again’
The president’s casual threat to launch fresh strikes marks a significant escalation in rhetoric, coming as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel hangs by a thread.
His single-word answer – “Sure” – when asked about future military action sends an unmistakable message to Tehran: America’s B-2 bombers remain fuelled and ready.
For Iran’s ayatollahs, already reeling from the weekend assault and Monday’s limited retaliation against a US base in Qatar, the warning is clear: rebuild at your peril.
NATO allies nervous
Trump’s early morning meltdown and hawkish threats come at a delicate moment for the Western alliance. NATO leaders gathering in the Netherlands are already grappling with multiple crises, from Ukraine to China’s rise.
The last thing they need is their most powerful member threatening to launch unilateral strikes while simultaneously attacking the free press from their summit.
As one diplomatic source put it: “We’re trying to project unity and stability. Four am Truth Social rants about ‘fake news‘ don’t exactly help.
With tensions sky-high and Trump’s finger hovering over the trigger, the world watches nervously. Will cooler heads prevail, or is “Operation Midnight Hammer Part Two” already being planned in the Pentagon’s war rooms?
One thing’s certain – with this president, “Sure” is never just a casual response. It’s a promise.
