By Invented Reporter | THE HAGUE – 2025/06/23 19:48:13

The question of whether the United States will engage in a larger conflict with Iran, following the recent bombing of its nuclear sites, may hinge on President Trump’s discussions with NATO members at the alliance’s summit in the Netherlands.This gathering, planned well in advance, now carries much greater weight.

While Washington’s European allies have largely supported the U.S. operation, which complemented an ongoing Israeli effort targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure, air defenses, and military leadership, their primary objective is to dissuade Trump from pursuing regime change in Iran. This possibility has been openly discussed by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

President Trump is scheduled to arrive in The Hague on Tuesday for two days of meetings, which are now expected to concentrate on the emerging crisis. U.S. intelligence and military officials are still evaluating the results of the U.S. strikes against Iran’s key nuclear facilities at fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan over the weekend.

NATO has been directly involved in the last two U.S. wars in the Middle East, participating in the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks and assisting in training and advising security forces in Iraq. Although Israel is not a NATO member, it collaborates with the alliance through the Mediterranean Dialogue, which includes efforts to counter the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

On Monday evening, at the Mauritshuis, overlooking The Hague’s historic court pond and under the gaze of Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” NATO officials, European military leaders, and U.S. senators convened. The central topic was the transformation of the summit from an opportunity to showcase Europe’s commitment to increased defense spending (with NATO members now aiming to spend 5% of their GDP on military needs) to a forum dominated by the potential for a new war.

As the event concluded, Iran launched an attack on the U.S. military base in Qatar, its largest in the Middle East. However,according to the New York Times, the Iranians provided Doha with advance warning of the strike to minimize casualties, suggesting that Tehran may be seeking a way to de-escalate the situation with Washington.

The Pentagon has stated that Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. bombing mission, “severely damaged” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Nevertheless, American and Israeli officials have admitted that the extent of Tehran’s success in salvaging equipment and fissile material before the attacks remains unclear.

Amid growing concerns that Iran may have retained a breakout capability, Israel’s target list within Iran appeared to expand on Monday. It now includes military objectives beyond Iran’s nuclear program, such as the headquarters of the Basij militia and a clock in downtown Tehran counting down to Israel’s destruction.

Expert Opinions on the Situation

“We may have simply waited too long with our hand-wringing, and given the Iranians time to evacuate their enriched stockpiles.”

“Trump spoke too soon,” said Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and Iran expert at the American Enterprise Institute, regarding Trump’s assertion that the United States had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capacity with its recent strikes.

He further commented, “We may have simply waited too long with our hand-wringing, and given the Iranians time to evacuate their enriched stockpiles. If so, that represents a failure of leadership,” noting reports of truck activity at the fordow site before the U.S. attack. “If they then scattered and the U.S. intelligence community lost track of where they went, then that is an intelligence failure that could potentially be as costly as the one that preceded the Iraq war.”

European nations, including France, Germany, and the united Kingdom, have cautiously commended Trump for authorizing the strikes. However,they have also advocated for an immediate return to negotiations and voiced concerns about Israel’s targeting of sites unrelated to Iran’s nuclear program.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, cautioning about “volatility” in the region, urged Iran “to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.” Similarly, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul questioned the feasibility of eliminating Tehran’s nuclear knowledge through bombing, stating, “No one thinks it’s a good thing to keep fighting.”

French President emmanuel macron stated, “I called for deescalation and for Iran to exercise the utmost restraint in this dangerous context, to allow a return to diplomacy. Engaging in dialogue and securing a clear commitment from Iran to renounce nuclear weapons are essential to avoid the worst for the entire region. There is no alternative.”

Following Israel’s strike on Iran’s Evin prison, where foreign nationals are detained, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot issued a stronger condemnation, stating, “All strikes must now stop.”

According to one European official, efforts will be made upon Trump’s arrival to highlight his military successes, emphasizing that his use of military force to deter an authoritarian adversary could also be applied to Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Now that Trump has demonstrated peace through strength, the official suggested, it is time to pursue diplomacy once more.

However, it remains uncertain whether Iran will be receptive to calls for a diplomatic resolution.

In a post on X on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pointed out that Israel’s attacks last week and the U.S. strikes this week coincided with negotiations, undermining any potential for successful talks.

He wrote,“Last week,we were in negotiations with the U.S. when israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/E.U. when the U.S. decided to blow up that diplomacy,” adding that European calls for Iran to return to negotiations were misguided. The E3 includes France, Germany, and Italy.

“How can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?” he questioned.

On Monday,before its strikes against the U.S. base in Qatar, Iranian military leaders vowed retaliation against the United States for the strikes.

Lt.Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, head of the Iranian military’s central command headquarters, stated in a video statement on Iranian broadcaster Press TV that the retaliation “will impose severe, regret-inducing, and unpredictable consequences on you.” He added that the U.S. attack “will expand the range of legitimate and diverse targets for Iran’s armed forces.”