Trump launches Iran strikes and revokes oil license during NATO summit in Turkey

President Donald Trump ordered a series of air strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a U.S. license that had permitted Tehran to sell oil on the global market. The actions were taken during a NATO summit in Ankara, where leaders of the alliance’s 32 member states had gathered to discuss defense-spending targets and support for Ukraine.

The strikes were presented as retaliation for attacks on three merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and highlighted the fragility of a tentative cease-fire between the United States and Iran. Trump did not comment publicly on the operations, which are unusual for a U.S. president to conduct while abroad.

During a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said he had asked NATO allies for assistance in the Iran conflict and noted that Italy, Germany and France had declined. He questioned the alliance’s financial contributions, asking why the United States spends "hundreds of billions of dollars" while partners do not provide comparable support.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (formerly Mark Rutte) had recently highlighted the "Trump Trillion," referring to the $1.2 trillion in additional defense spending pledged by European allies and Canada since 2017. The summit featured a showcase of projects funded by that increase, many involving U.S. contractors.

The United States continues to press NATO members to meet a 2 percent of GDP defense-spending goal, a target that Slovenia, Belgium, Spain and the Czech Republic are reported to be missing. The Trump administration is also reviewing the size of the U.S. military presence in Europe, linking potential drawdowns to the pace of allied spending and base-access agreements.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used the summit to renew his appeal for NATO membership, emphasizing his forces’ combat experience and contributions to the alliance’s defense capabilities. He is scheduled to meet Trump on Wednesday.

The summit also included a meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former insurgent leader now seeking to restore ties with the West, a development noted by the U.S. administration.