Trump vows to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ as Tehran denies talks (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)

Finnish political adviser Olli Kotro has warned that NATO could “fall apart” if the US leaves, describing the military alliance as already in decline. Speaking to RT, he said divisions over the Iran war show US and EU interests “don’t align at all,” calling the situation “the beginning of the end” for the bloc.

President Donald Trump has signaled he is seriously considering withdrawing the US from NATO, telling the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday the option is “beyond reconsideration.”

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has listed European countries he says are “most exposed” to a Gulf energy shock, citing their reliance on imports and supply vulnerabilities. In a post on X, Dmitriev named Italy, the UK, Germany, Poland, Belgium, and Romania, pointing to factors such as declining domestic output, high demand, and transit risks.

In a separate post, Dmitriev wrote that Germany has “destroyed itself” by decoupling from Russian energy, pointing to weakening growth forecasts cited by market analysts.  

Germany’s industrial sector has struggled in recent years, with the EU’s decision to phase out Russian energy following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 weighing heavily on long-term competitiveness. The pressure intensified after the US-Israeli attack on Iran sent global energy prices soaring.

Former Miss California and conservative activist Carrie Prejean Boller has told RT’s Sanchez Effect that she was asked to resign from a US religious freedom body after speaking out on Gaza, arguing that criticism of Israel should not be equated with anti-Semitism and warning that “loyalty to a particular theology” must not define acceptable speech.  

She also criticized President Donald Trump, saying she no longer recognizes him and accused him of breaking promises to keep the US out of foreign wars. Americans are now seeing “boots on the ground” despite earlier pledges, she claimed.

READ MORE: Future of NATO uncertain – Hegseth

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington’s investment in NATO is aimed at advancing American global interests. In a post on X, Pompeo described NATO as a “key instrument” in securing US superpower status, while adding that allies should still be expected to “pull their weight.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will soon release an open letter addressing the American people, his spokesman Mehdi Tabatabai has stated on X.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that Tehran wants a ceasefire, which Iran’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed as “false.”

RT has obtained a copy of an open letter by Pezeshkian addressed to the American people, in which he insists that Tehran “never initiated a war” in modern history and frames its military posture as “legitimate self-defense.” 

In the letter, Pezeshkian questions the rationale behind US military action, accusing Washington of fueling conflict and “manufacturing” threats, while warning that continued strikes risk long-term instability and damage to America’s global standing.

RT team reminds you that Western countries have imposed more than 110 sanctions on us, freezing accounts, surveilling staff, and introducing other restrictions. If you don't see this publication containing the letter, then EU/the US sanctions is the case. 

Political scientist Aaron Good has dismissed Trump’s threats to “obliterate” Iran’s infrastructure as “bluster and bravado,” arguing Washington lacks any viable military option. 

Speaking to RT, he warned such strikes could backfire, saying destroying Iran’s oil sector “would just drive up the price of oil,” while Tehran retains the capacity to retaliate across the region.

The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $3 million for information on attacks targeting its diplomatic facilities in Iraq, according to its Rewards for Justice program.

In a post on X, the initiative called for tips on Iranian-aligned militia groups behind attacks in Iraq, which have intensified since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Trump has told Reuters he doesn’t care about enriched uranium in Iran that could potentially be used to build nuclear weapons. In the same interview, however, he claimed that one of his primary goals of the war was to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

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Moreover, the objective of preventing a nuclear weapon has been achieved, Trump told Reuters on Wednesday.

According to media reports, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium that could potentially be used to build nuclear weapons is believed to be buried under the rubble of a mountain facility that was hit during strikes last June. Trump previously said the US would move to take the uranium if it reaches a deal with Iran.

But he said Wednesday that the uranium is “so far ⁠underground, I don’t care about that.”

“We’ll always be watching it by satellite,” he added.