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US strikes and sanctions
The United States launched new strikes against Iran and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales in retaliation for attacks on commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz, as President Donald Trump met with NATO leaders in Turkey.
CNN reported that a US official told the network, “This is punishment,” and added that it “won’t be over for a bit.”
Iranian state media reported explosions in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as on Qeshm Island, while Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said a telecommunications tower in Bandar Abbas had apparently been targeted.
The Associated Press said the renewed attacks from both sides threaten the interim deal reached last month, with the U.S. and Iran both saying the strikes violate that initial agreement.
AP also reported that the American military launched strikes against Iranian targets early Wednesday after Iran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and that the strikes were expected to hit around eight times more targets than the previous round.
NATO tensions over Iran
As NATO leaders gathered in Ankara, Turkey, Trump pressed allies on defense spending and tied the alliance’s posture during the Iran war to broader burden-sharing disputes.
Fox News quoted U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker saying Trump remains “disappointed” by allies that declined to allow U.S. forces to use military bases or overflight rights during the operation.
Axios reported that Trump said, “I just want loyalty,” and described his anger at allies who refused to open air bases for U.S. strikes on Iran or to send forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Guardian said NATO leaders will gather in Ankara on Tuesday after Mark Rutte called for allies to present “clear, concrete and credible plans” to reach the organization’s spending targets.
DW reported that Trump told reporters, “We are working to steer Iran–U.S. relations onto a constructive path,” as the summit began in a context of high tensions between Iran and the United States.
F-35, Greenland, and fallout
Trump’s diplomacy at the NATO summit also centered on Turkey’s F-35 status and on his broader demands for alliance alignment, with multiple outlets describing his willingness to lift sanctions and consider F-35 access.
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CBS News reported Trump said the U.S. will “consider” allowing Turkey to purchase the United States’ F-35 fighter jets again, and it quoted Erdoğan saying, “We have secured the five jets and Mr. Trump also promised us.”
CNN said Trump told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan he would soon decide whether to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey despite a congressional ban, and it quoted Netanyahu warning that Erdogan “threatens to destroy my country, the one and only Jewish state.”
The Guardian reported that NATO leaders expected to agree a largely symbolic €70bn (£60bn) in military aid to Ukraine this year and next, while also trying to mollify Trump’s pressure on spending.
AP said Trump insisted the United States should be in control of Greenland rather than NATO ally Denmark, and that he does not intend to let Greenland be threatened by China and Russia as the summit unfolded.
