Washington, July 3 (SANA)U.S. PresidentDonald Trumpcriticized continued U.S. support forNATO, describing the alliance as “ridiculous”, and said Washington is currently negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, according to remarks reported on Friday.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States was let down by its allies when it needed them and argued that relations within NATO are not mutually beneficial. His comments come days ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit.

He repeated his criticism of NATO allies, particularly European partners, referring to longstanding disputes over burden-sharing within the alliance. The next NATO summit, bringing together the alliance’s 32 member states, is scheduled to take place in Ankara on July 7–8.

In separate comments to CNBC, Trump said confrontation with Iran was “not a war in itself” but an effort aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, adding that he was not seeking regime change.

He said the United States is currently conducting negotiations with Iran, adding that Tehran had “almost agreed to all U.S. demands” and describing the current Iranian leadership as “more rational” than in previous periods.

Trump also said recent U.S. strikes caused significant damage to Iran’s military capabilities, stating that US forces targeted military sites and radar systems. He added that Washington had worked to secure navigation inthe Strait of Hormuz, helping prevent a rise in oil prices.

He further praised talks held on Wednesday in Doha,Qatar, involving U.S. and Iranian officials with Qatari and Pakistani mediation, describing the talks as “very good”.