Trump warns peace may not last in Israel-Iran conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday celebrated the rapid end of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, boasting that his intervention had brought the conflict to a halt and expressing optimism about future ties with Tehran. Speaking at the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump likened the war to “two kids in a schoolyard” fighting until they’re worn out, and said U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities were what ultimately ended the fighting. “This ended that war. If we didn’t take that out, they would be fighting right now,” he said. The war began when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets on June 13. Iran responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles, some hitting civilian areas in Israel. Days later, Trump ordered U.S. B-2 bombers to strike Iran’s Fordow enrichment facility and other key nuclear sites with 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs. Both countries later declared victory after agreeing to a ceasefire. But the true extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear program remains unclear. A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment suggested the strikes may have only delayed Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by several months. Trump dismissed the report as “inconclusive,” insisting the targets were “virtually obliterated.” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi cautioned that while physical damage may have occurred, Iran’s technical expertise and industrial capacity remained intact. “The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now,” Trump added, suggesting Tehran now seeks stability, not escalation. Trump concluded by predicting a shift in relations: “We’ll end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran.”