Trump Publishes NATO Chief’s Private Praise for Iran Strikes Ahead of Summit
In a move drawing attention ahead of this week’s NATO summit, President Donald Trump shared private text messages from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte lauding his recent military action against Iran.
In the message, Rutte reportedly wrote:
“Mr President, dear Donald, congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran… It makes us all safer.”
He also praised Trump’s success in rallying NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
The texts, posted on Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, appeared to have been sent via an encrypted messaging app. Rutte later confirmed their authenticity and described the tone as “appropriate” given the broader NATO context. The disclosure ignited debate over presidential use of private diplomatic messages and the appropriateness of sharing them publicly.
The timing is notable: Trump flew into The Hague for this week’s NATO summit, where he is emphasizing military funding and alliance cohesion. The summit’s agenda includes Rutte’s defense-spending plan, with most members agreeing to the new 5% target, although some—such as Spain and Slovakia—have expressed reservations. Trump, despite previously questioning NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defense commitment, appears to be leaning into a show of U.S. leadership.
Analysts say the messages reflect a strategic effort by European leaders to maintain Trump’s support at the summit, where defense budgets, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the ongoing Israel–Iran tensions remain central topics.
With input from Al Jazeera
