Trump will speak to Mark Rutte about the US leaving Nato tonight: LIVE

President Donald Trump will discuss the US’ withdrawal from NATO in a meeting with the alliance’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said today.

It comes as the US President said that NATO was ‘tested and they failed’ during the Iran war, Leavitt said, sharing a direct quote from Trump.

The United States said Wednesday that Iran must open the Strait of Hormuz ‘immediately’ after reports that the strategic waterway was shut despite the US-Iran ceasefire.

Any closure ‘is completely unacceptable,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

‘I will reiterate the president’s expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately, quickly and safely.’

President Donald Trump believes NATO was ‘tested and they failed’ during the Iran war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday, sharing a direct quote from Trump ahead of his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.

‘His very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating style is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing today,’ said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, adding that Iran said they wanted a ceasefire because ‘they no longer could tolerate being bombed.’

Trump’s threats against Iran escalated over the past weeks, culminating in his Tuesday warning that a ‘whole civilization’ could ‘die’ in the lead up to an 8 pm deadline, which was later suspended after an agreement was reached.

‘The world should take his word very seriously,’ Leavitt said.

The White House confirmed that US Vice President JD Vance will lead the US negotiating team in talks with Iran aimed at finding a permanent end to the war.

Vance will lead the delegation, which is also expected to include special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, for the talks that are expected to begin Friday in Islamabad, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

‘Vice President Vance has played a very significant and key role in this since the very beginning,’ Leavitt told reporters during a White House press briefing.

‘Of course, he’s the president’s right-hand man. He is the vice president of the United States. He’s been involved in all of these discussions.’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that ‘the Iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious, unacceptable and completely discarded,’ and that it was ‘literally thrown in the garbage by Trump.’

But, she said, Iranian authorities on Tuesday presented a new plan that will become a workable basis for negotiations to bring the Iran war to an end.

Leavitt said the new version of the Iranian plan can now ‘align with our own, 15-point proposal’ for peace.

Lebanon is not included in the terms of a two-week ceasefire arrangement between the US and Iran, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters today, Donald Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the ceasefire deal with Iran is a ‘victory’ for the US.

‘President Trump stated this would be a four to six-week military operation to dismantle the military threat posed by (Iran),’ she said.

‘Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of America’s war fighters, the United States has achieved and exceeded those core military objectives.’

Leavitt added that in just 38 days, the US military destroyed Iran’s defence industrial base and crushed Tehran’s ability to manufacture weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today told a press conference that despite a ceasefire with Iran, ‘this is not the end of the campaign,’ adding that ‘Iran is entering these negotiations while beaten and weaker than ever.’

Netanyahu added that US-Israeli strikes have set Iran back by ‘decades’, noting that the regime is unable to manufacture new missiles and that Iranian forces are now firing from existing stockpiles in warehouses.

He also vowed to end Iran’s nuclear threat, whether by agreement or by winning the war.

The Ministry of Defence has welcomed the two-week ceasefire agreed overnight between the US, Israel and Iran, calling it a ‘vital step towards stability and security in the region.’

The MoD added that UK fast jets have continued their defensive missions across Cyprus, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain.

‘We will continue to ensure the security of UK forces and support the defence of our partners.’