U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn widespread criticism after comparing recent American airstrikes on Iran to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, during a speech delivered at the NATO Summit in The Hague.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump defended the strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, which took place amid the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict. Referring to their decisive impact, Trump stated:
“That hit ended the war. I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing that ended that war. This ended that war.”
The comments were delivered during a brief address in the Netherlands , and circulated widely across media. They came as a Pentagon report, leaked earlier this week, suggested the U.S. bombing campaign may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear programme by several months — in stark contrast to Trump’s insistence that the facilities were “completely destroyed.”
Iranian officials have condemned the comparison and the strike itself, and on Wednesday their Parliament formally approved a bill suspending cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog (IAEA). State funerals are also being planned for several top Iranian nuclear scientists reportedly killed during the air raids.
At the NATO summit, the controversial remarks overshadowed diplomatic attempts to restore calm in the region. The ceasefire between Iran and Israel, brokered with U.S. pressure, remained intact as of Wednesday evening, although tensions persist.
Iran’s UN ambassador described the country as “closer to diplomacy than ever,” while warning of long-term consequences if Western pressure continues. In Tehran, internet access began to return following days of strict controls imposed during the fighting. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accused Israel of launching a “widespread cyber war,” aiming to disable communications and gather intelligence.
In Israel, life cautiously returned to routine. Children returned to school in Tel Aviv for the first time in nearly two weeks. “In one word? Thank God,” one parent told local media. In shelters, families dismantled tents and returned home, though the psychological impact of the conflict remains deep.
Meanwhile, markets reacted with measured optimism. The U.S. dollar rose against the yen but slipped against other currencies, as investors reassessed risk following the ceasefire. Crude oil prices steadied near multi-week lows, reflecting expectations that Middle East supply would not be disrupted.
Trump’s Hiroshima remark quickly became a lightning rod for criticism from human rights groups and nuclear disarmament advocates, many of whom condemned the analogy as inflammatory and historically insensitive.
Despite the backlash, the NATO summit concluded with no further comment from the U.S. delegation. Analysts warn that while active combat has ceased, diplomatic fallout — both from the strikes themselves and Trump’s framing of them — could shape global relations with Tehran for months to come.
