“They said, ‘Sir, we love you.’ These are grown people saying that. Isn’t that nice? Maybe — I don’t know, maybe — they’re trying to get to me. And in a way, they did because there was tremendous unity in that room.

Clearly, Trump was feeling the love, and he returned the sentiment. “It’s too bad the press couldn’t have seen what we were doing in that room, because it was very smart people, and they have a lot of good in their heart, not evil good, and they’re doing a great job for their country.

RUTTE’S CHARM OFFENSIVE: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte — who has earned the nickname “The Trump Whisperer” for his ability to manage Trump’s tantrums without further inflaming the situation — was in full flattery mode, agreeing with Trump on almost everything, while trying to make subtle points in defense of the NATO nations that have drawn Trump’s ire.

“Five thousand planes taking off from European airports in support of Epic Fury. It was Europe as one big platform of power projection for the United States, helping with Epic Fury, including countries you mentioned,” Rutte offered in response to Trump’s complaint that NATO wasn’t there for him when expected help with the Iran War.

“Well, the United Kingdom wouldn’t have let us use the island for two weeks, so we had to fly back,” Trump groused. 

“I’m saying you’re right. There are isolated cases,” Rutte said, “But still, generally, 5,000 is huge. … And you mentioned Spain. Even you got Spain to pay 2%. So I would argue, without you in this chair, this would not have happened.”

“You did what Eisenhower started trying to do, equalizing the U.S., and all the other presidents, none of them were successful. You’re the first one. It’s your win. Your win in the end,” Rutte said, “So grab the win, it’s there. You did this.”

AND THEN THERE’S GREENLAND: Rutte, a former Netherlands prime minister, was forced to sit by smiling as Trump once again tried to make the case that Greenland, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, should rightfully belong to the U.S., including a history lecture about World War II.

“When Denmark was overrun by the Nazis in less than one day, Hitler beat them out in one day, took over. They asked us to take care of Greenland. In fact, we took Greenland, and then stupidly, we gave it back. We shouldn’t have given it back to them, because we’re the ones that need it,” Trump said. 

Later, when Rutte had a chance to talk, he offered, “On Greenland, you and I made a deal in Davos. I will make sure that that deal is step by step being implemented.”

It was all too much for Danish journalist Rasmus Svaneborg, who needled Rutte at his closing news conference for his constant obsequience. 

“Mark, you sit next to Donald Trump in moments where he talks about conquering Greenland, talks about lashing out at allies like Spain, starting trade wars, things that it does not seem like the old Mark Rutte would approve of. Does this have any effect on your self-respect when you sit next to him like that and say nothing?

“What I always do is acknowledge when praise is due, and I think we should praise Donald Trump for the fact that NATO is so much stronger,” Rutte replied. “Of course, it has to do with the Russian threat, it has to do with the war in Ukraine. But it very much also has to do with President Trump.”

TRUMP THREATENS TROOP WITHDRAWALS IF ‘VERY GOOD DEAL’ ON GREENLAND ISN’T STRUCK

READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Good Thursday morning, and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Keely Bastow. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. 

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HAPPENING TODAY: BACK TO BOMBING: As Trump foreshadowed before leaving Turkey, the U.S. hit Iran again last night, with a second round of airstrikes in response to Tehran’s attempt to control the Strait of Hormuz by attacking ships that don’t use its preferred route through Iranian territorial waters.

“U.S. forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline,” the U.S. Central Command said in a news release. On Tuesday, the U.S. hit approximately 80 targets, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats.

Trump’s Truth Social feed was full of videos showing explosions, including one that came with a warning from Trump, “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!”

“The U.S. military attacked two railway bridges in northern Iran with cruise missiles as part of the strikes,” a U.S. official told Axios reporter Barak Ravid, who also posted on X that senior American officials told him, “The White House is preparing for what could turn into a round of fighting with Iran around the Strait of Hormuz that will last several days and perhaps even several weeks,” and that “the duration of the new campaign and its intensity will depend entirely on Tehran’s next steps.”

“They have very little left,” Trump said, speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route back to Washington. “They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don’t know if they’re worthy of — I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal, that’s the problem.”

Asked by a reporter why Iran would attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz if they are anxious to make a deal, Trump paused and said, “Because they’re sorta crazy, to be honest with you. They’re sorta crazy. They’re a little bit out of control, but they want to make a deal — badly.”

US RESUMES BOMBING IRAN ‘TO FURTHER DEGRADE’ ITS ABILITY TO THREATEN SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

IRAN STRIKES BACK: As one might expect, Iran has denied calling Trump begging for a deal or a return to a ceasefire, instead responding with drone attacks on Bahrain, headquarters and of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, as well as targeting U.S. facilities in Kuwait and Qatar.

In a post on X, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was defiant. “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit.”

“Don’t flail around pointlessly, or you’ll sink even deeper,” Ghalibaf boasted. “The Strait of Hormuz will only open with ‘Iranian arrangements, not American threats.”

TRUMP CONTEMPLATES ASSASSINATING MORE IRANIAN LEADERS, WARNS HE ‘MAY BE GONE TOO’ AFTER TOPPING TEHRAN’S ‘KILL LIST’

ZELENSKY’S BIG WIN: Trump, who has roundly disparaged Volodymyr Zelensky in the past, has apparently had a change of heart about the Ukrainian president, based on Ukraine’s newfound battlefield prowess and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intransigence.

Zelensky came to the NATO summit in Turkey with one goal: to get more Patriot interceptor missiles to protect civilians in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. In his sit-down meeting with Trump, Zelensky got half of what he wanted, a promise that Raytheon, the maker of the missiles now in scarce supply, would help Ukraine make its own version of the Patriot, under a special license from the U.S.

“We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool, right?” Trump told Zelensky. “This way you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough,” Trump said, adding Ukraine would be able to “make them yourself.”

Zelensky was obviously pleased, calling the Patriot system “the best in the world for today, the best anti-ballistic system,” but it fell to a Ukrainian journalist to ask the obvious question.

“President Zelensky has said that Ukraine needs Patriot missiles now. Over 50 Ukrainians have died in recent airstrikes just in the last few days. So, in addition to these production licenses, which will take time,  would you consider providing any to Ukraine immediately?

“We have Patriots, but we don’t have that many. We need them for ourselves,” Trump responded. “But I think they can produce them pretty quickly … They have a great ability to produce weapons, pretty complex weapons.”

TRUMP’S DECISION TO GIVE PATRIOT MISSILE LICENSE TO UKRAINE A LONG-TERM PLAN, NOT AN IMMEDIATE FIX

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: What are Trump’s options now that he’s said the ceasefire is over?

Washington Examiner: US resumes bombing Iran ‘to further degrade’ its ability to threaten ships in Strait of Hormuz

Washington Examiner: Trump says US attacked Kharg Island and threatens takeover

Washington Examiner: Trump contemplates assassinating more Iranian leaders, warns he ‘may be gone too’ after topping Tehran’s ‘kill list’

Washington Examiner: Oil prices spike after Trump declared ceasefire with Iran ‘over’

Washington Examiner: Iran state media says country should start ‘burning’ US ceasefire agreement after Trump comments

Washington Examiner: Mark Carney says Trump has ‘won the argument’ on NATO defense spending

Washington Examiner: Trump threatens troop withdrawals if ‘very good deal’ on Greenland isn’t struck

Washington Examiner: Opinion: No, Mr. President, Turkey is not a ‘great ally’

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump declares Iran deal dead: Was this the plan all along?

AP: Why Trump covets Greenland

The Atlantic: Opinion: Iran, Not Trump, Is in Control of This War

AP: Trump flies partway home from Turkey in an old Air Force One, not the new Qatari-gifted jet

New York Times: Security Precaution Led Trump to Use Old Air Force One in Leaving Turkey

Breaking Defense: Trump Leaves Summit Praising NATO ‘Unification,’ Floats Ukraine-Made Patriots

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Q&A: NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Interview: Meink Cites Progress After First Year as SECAF

DefenseOne: ‘Shifting Gears Away from Being Just a Policy Shop’: Q&A with the Pentagon CIO

Space News: SpaceX Satellite Wins Test Pentagon’s Commitment to Competition

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Picks Two More Startups to Compete for Launch Missions

Defense News: China Shows Snazzy Clip of DF-17 Missile on State TV in Show of Force

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Discovers Scoring Error, Revises E-6 Promotion List

THE CALENDAR: 

THURSDAY | JULY 9 

10 a.m. — Arab Center Washington D.C. virtual discussion: beginning at 10 a.m., on “Iraq in the Wake of the Iran War,” with Zahra Ali, associate professor, Rutgers University Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Lahib Higel, senior analyst for Iraq and interim deputy program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group; Renad Mansour, deputy director of Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme; Ahmed Tabaqchali, chief strategist for the Asia Frontier Capital Iraq Fund and senior fellow of American University of Iraq-Sulaimani Institute of Regional & International Studies; Tamara Kharroub, deputy executive director and senior fellow of the Arab Center Washington D.C.; and Joseph Sassoon, professor of history and political economy and chair in politics and political economy of the Arab world at Georgetown University Center for Contemporary Arab Studies https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

5 p.m. 1521 16th St. NW — Institute of World Politics discussion: “Iran at the Brink: War, Revolution, and the Future of the Middle East,” Emad Shargi, businessman, entrepreneur, and writer https://www.iwp.edu/events/iran-at-the-brink

FRIDAY | JULY 10 

10:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Taiwan’s Institutional Defense: Countering CCP Infiltration and Transnational Repression,” Kai-Chieh Hsu, National Security Court judge for the Taipei District Court; and Miles Yu, director, Hudson China Center https://www.hudson.org/events/taiwans-institutional-defense

TUESDAY | JULY 14 

2 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army and the Center for Strategic and International Studies Strategic Landpower Dialogue,” with Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, portfolio acquisition executive for fires; Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project, and senior fellow, CSIS Defense and Security Department, retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, AUSA vice president for leadership and education at AUSA https://www.csis.org/events/strategic-landpower-dialogue

3 p.m. — Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at Brookings virtual discussion: “The FY 2027 defense budget: How much is enough?” with Todd Harrison, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Mara Karlin, visiting fellow, Brookings; David Wessel, senior fellow and director, Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Brookings; and Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow, and director, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-fy-2027-defense-budget-how-much-is-enough

WEDNESDAY | JULY 15

226 Dirksen — Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be attorney general. http://judiciary.senate.gov

10 a.m. 390 Cannon — House Select Committee on China hearing; “Protecting American Innovation: The Federal Research Security Enterprise,” with testimony from Jeremy Ison, chief of staff to the undersecretary of energy for science; Patricia Valdez, chief extramural research integrity officer, National Institutes of Health; Rebecca Keiser, acting chief of staff and chief of research security policy and strategy, National Science Foundation https://www.youtube.com/@ChinaSelect/streams

TUESDAY | JULY 21 

10:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Navigating Strategic Competition: Senator Tammy Duckworth on the Future of U.S. Indo-Pacific Engagement,” with Victor Cha, president, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at CSIS; and Charles Edel, senior adviser and Australia Chair at CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/navigating-strategic-competition

4:30 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute virtual discussion: “Subversion and Seduction: A Conversation About China Economic Statecraft with Audrye Wong,” with Robert Doar, president, AEI; and Audrye Wong, AEI senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/subversion-and-seduction-a-conversation