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Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire, Criticizes NATO

Published 13 April 2026

President Donald Trump declared a two-week ceasefire in the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran on April 8, following more than a month of intense operations that disrupted global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, targeted Iran's naval forces, air defenses, and missile capabilities, achieving several tactical successes but exposing vulnerabilities in American munitions stockpiles.

In the wake of the agreement, Trump turned his criticism toward NATO allies, accusing them of failing to provide meaningful support during the fighting. European nations offered limited logistical aid, such as overflights and basing, but largely refused to commit combat forces to what many viewed as an offensive operation outside NATO's defensive mandate. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passes, remains partially blocked, complicating the ceasefire's implementation.

Tensions peaked during Trump's White House meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday. Officials described the closed-door discussion as frank but strained, with Trump pressing for immediate NATO...

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