President Donald Trump’s attempt to turn a NATO summit into a celebration of his Iran policy backfired Tuesday, as a U.S. intelligence leak undercut his central claim of eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities and exposed deep fractures in the transatlantic alliance.

Trump Lands in The Hague to Applause—and Doubt

Trump touched down in the Netherlands expecting triumph: in less than a week, he had authorized airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and brokered a ceasefire. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte personally praised Trump’s “decisive action,” calling it “something no one else dared to do.” Rutte even reshaped the summit agenda around Trump’s preferences, securing a landmark defense spending pledge of 5% of GDP by alliance members.

But the illusion of victory quickly unraveled. Within hours of Trump’s arrival, a Pentagon intelligence leak revealed the strikes had only set back Iran’s nuclear program by “a number of months” — directly contradicting Trump’s repeated use of the term “obliterated.” The report, sourced from within the Defense Department, dealt a blow to the narrative Trump hoped to project.

Ceasefire in Jeopardy as Trump Berates Allies and Adversaries

As Trump left the White House, the ceasefire he championed was already faltering. “They don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” he reportedly shouted, referencing Israel and Iran as new missile exchanges occurred at the supposed start of the truce.

He phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restore order and later declared the ceasefire was “back on.” His mood brightened briefly, posting praise and calls for a Nobel Peace Prize, only to sour again when the intelligence report leaked.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the findings as “flat-out wrong,” accusing the Pentagon of trying to “demean President Trump.”

NATO Unity Tested as Article 5 Hangs in the Balance

At the summit, European allies were left rattled. Trump once again refused to clearly commit to Article 5, NATO’s cornerstone collective defense clause. “It depends on your definition,” he said, adding, “I’m committed to saving lives,” without offering clarity.

Though allies agreed to raise defense spending, Trump’s ambiguous position on NATO’s core treaty and his refusal to pledge military aid to Ukraine have reinforced doubts about Washington’s reliability.

Short Visit, Long Shadows

Trump’s whirlwind visit — less than 24 hours — included a royal reception, a NATO dinner, and a morning session with the Dutch monarchs before returning to Washington. Yet the summit revealed a president increasingly isolated: lionized for his military reach but distrusted for his diplomacy.

Closing Note: Bombast Without Strategy

Trump’s rush to claim military and diplomatic glory has left behind a trail of strategic ambiguity. His celebration of strikes on Iran, absent clear gains, and his self-congratulatory diplomacy over a ceasefire already unraveling, exemplify a broader pattern: bold action without sustainable planning. By conflating spectacle with substance, and undermining trust in U.S. institutions and alliances, Trump risks achieving what decades of adversaries have failed to do — fracture the very order the United States built.