Trump ‘demands NATO sends warships to take on Iran: Live updates

German outlet Spiegel reported that Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to NATO, calling for a concrete commitment to send warships or other military capabilities to the Middle East.

The defence bloc risks losing American support for good if it does not meet Trump’s demands.

Trump reportedly told Rutte that he can no longer support the statements of support from his NATO allies, instead requiring material action to be taken.

Writing on Truth Social in the last few minutes, Donald Trump said: ‘None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!’

He has long scrutinised NATO and its relationship with the US, which has only soured since the outbreak of war in late February.

Russia has said that the ceasefire in the Middle East must cover Lebanon.

Its foreign minister also ‘strongly’ condemned the Israeli attack on its neighbour.

Some of Lebanon’s hospitals could run out of life-saving trauma medical kits within days as supplies near depletion following mass casualties from large-scale Israeli strikes over the past day, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday.

‘Some of the trauma management supplies were in short [supply] and we may run out in a few days,’ Dr Abdinasir Abubaka, the WHO’s representative in Lebanon, said.

The life-saving trauma kits include bandages, antibiotics and anaesthetics to treat patients who sustained war-related injuries, he said.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister has confirmed that an Iranian delegation will travel to Pakistan for talks with the US.

But Saeed Khatibzadeh warned that a ceasefire must include Lebanon, adding: ‘The coming hours are very critical.’

The IMF’s managing director has today said the conflict in the Middle East has led to a sharp reversal in its outlook on the world’s economy.’

In prepared remarks, Kristalina Georgieva said: ‘Had it not been for this shock, we would have been upgrading global growth. But now, even our most hopeful scenario involves a growth downgrade.

‘Why? Because of infrastructure damage, supply disruptions, losses of confidence, and other scarring effects.’

She warned that even in the best case, ‘there will be no neat and clean return’ to the status quo.’

Georgieva said: ‘We don’t truly know what the future holds for transits through the Strait of Hormuz… What we do know is that growth will be slower – even if the new peace is durable.’

Lebanon’s social affairs minister told the BBC that her nation needs a ‘seat at the table’ to be able to negotiate a ceasefire.

Haneen Sayed said her government considers Lebanon to have been ‘included in terms of the ceasefire’ between Iran and the US.

She added that a formal complaint will be sent to the UN’s Security Council about Israel’s ‘grave violations’ of the ceasefire.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Israel’s ‘ongoing aggression against Lebanon’ today, ahead of expected US-Iran talks in Islamabad.

‘The prime minister said that Pakistan was engaged in sincere efforts for regional peace and it was in this spirit that the peace talks between Iran and the US were being convened,’ Sharif’s office said in a statement.

Pakistan’s prime minister today said the nation ‘appreciated the restraint demonstrated by all sides’, ahead of this weekend’s talks in its capital city.

‘The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the de-escalation achieved so far and stressed upon the need for maintaining peace and ceasefire by all parties,’ the office of prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said.