Donald Trump tells Vladimir Putin he doesn’t need help in Middle East, ‘I need help with you’

Donald Trump has revealed he rejected Vladimir Putin’s offer to help to get a peace deal between Iran and Israel, saying he wanted him to end Russia’s war in Ukraine instead.

Donald Trump has revealed he rejected Vladimir Putin’s offer to help to get a peace deal between Iran and Israel, saying he wanted him to end Russia’s war in Ukraine instead.

The US president now has his sights set on fixing the European conflict as he met with NATO leaders in the Netherlands early Wednesday AEST where they discussed a massive surge in defence spending.

The NATO countries, which include Britain, France, and Germany, were debating an agreement to spend up to 5 per cent of GDP - two and half times what Australia currently spends – under pressure from the United States.

Mr Trump made public his backroom dealings with Mr Putin on the day he was due to meet Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

“As you know, Vladimir called me up. He said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘I don’t need help with Iran, I need help with you,’ and I hope we’re going to be getting a deal done with Russia,” Mr Trump said in notes of a conversation on Air Force One released by the White House.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Pictures: Gavriil Grigorov and Nhac Nguyen/AFP

NATO was set to reaffirm its commitment to Ukraine on Wednesday night, with the three-year war already claiming more than 1 million Russian lives and at least 100,000 Ukrainians.

It comes after Mr Trump had urged Iran to rebuild as he walked back earlier suggestions of the toppling of Iran’s leadership, calling for the ceasefire he brokered between Iran and Israel in the 12-Day War to hold.

“Regime change takes chaos and ideally we don’t want to see so much chaos so we will see how it does,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump claimed that his attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities ended the war in the same way that America ended World War II by dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

He had previously said both Iran and Israel “don’t know what the f*** they are doing” in a frustrated outburst on Tuesday after they each breached the terms of the ceasefire.

Mr Trump ordered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to turn back jets that were on their way to attack Iran.

US President Donald Trump arrives for a social dinner at the NATO Heads of State and Government summit in The Hague. Picture: Mischa Schoemaker/ANP/AFPOUT

He reportedly shouted at the Israeli leader in a tense phone call to ensure that the ceasefire continued.

However, he also posted a video on his social media of American jets dropping bombs with the chorus “Bomb Iran” to the tune of the Beach Boys hit Barbara Ann while he was flying to Europe.

A chided Mr Netanyahu thanked Mr Trump in a video released after his call with the US president, which led to the cancellation of the IDF bombing raid.

“Israel has never had a friend like President Trump in the White House, and I thank him greatly for our joint work,” Mr Netanyahu said.

He also claimed Israel had achieved a “historic victory” that would “abide for generations”.

Mr Netanyahu echoed Mr Trump’s claims that Iran’s nuclear program was “totally obliterated” saying: “We sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain.”

“If someone in Iran tries to restore that program, we will act with the same determination, the same power, to cut off any such attempt,” he added.

However, a leaked Pentagon report claimed that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were only set back by three months.

The initial intelligence assessment, widely reported in the United States, claimed that Iran’s underground nuclear buildings at Fordow were damaged but not destroyed.

This combination of satellite pictures shows airstrike craters over underground centrifuge halls in the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran on June 22 (top) and the same craters filled and covered with dirt on June 24,. Picture: Maxar Technologies/AFP

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected that assessment, releasing a statement that Mr Trump repeatedly shared on social media.

“Based on everything we have seen – and I’ve seen it all – our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” Mr Hegseth said.

“Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly.”

Mr Hegseth said on Wednesday that the FBI had begun a probe into the leak of the “secret report”, which he claimed was a political hit job.

Iran had moved at least 400kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium to a secret location before the surprise attacks.

The rogue nation had also previously set up smaller nuclear facilities as a precaution in case of a US strike.

The extent of the damage remains a source of debate, with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi saying new imaging at all three nuclear sites showed damage far greater than an initial review found.

At the Natanz facility, the IAEA identified “two impact holes from the US strikes above the underground halls that had been used for enrichment as well as for storage”.

“Based on its knowledge of what these halls contained, the IAEA assesses that this strike may have caused localised contamination and chemical hazards,” Mr Grossi warned.

Mr Grossi called on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to allow his agency into the country to inspect the damage to Tehran’s nuclear program caused by Israeli and American strikes during the 12-day conflict.

“Resuming co-operation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities,” he said in a letter to Araghchi.

Israeli Defence chief Eyal Zamir said while the ceasefire marked the end of a “significant phase” he urged military forces to remain focused amid the ongoing campaign in Gaza.

“Now the focus shifts back to Gaza – to bring the hostages home and to dismantle the Hamas regime,” he said.

Iran simultaneously declared its own victory against Israel.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to return to negotiations over its nuclear program but insisted Iran would continue to “assert its legitimate rights” to the peaceful use of atomic energy.

“It has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons and does not seek them,” he was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

Iran’s top security body said the Islamic republic’s forces had “compelled” Israel to “unilaterally” stand down.

Its Revolutionary Guards also hailed a last-minute missile salvo fired at Israel as “a historic and unforgettable lesson to the Zionist enemy”.

Meanwhile, Iran on Wednesday had paused its fighting in agreement with a ceasefire, but had executed three people it accused of being spies for Mossad, Israel’s secret intelligence service.