NATO's Rutte likens Trump to a 'daddy' in Israel-Iran conflict

By Anthony Deutsch and Gram Slattery

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday likened President Donald Trump to a "daddy" intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the U.S. leader repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week including with a profanity.

Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a NATO alliance summit, Trump again berated Israel and Iran.

"They've had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can't stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it's easy to stop them," he said.

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In response, Rutte laughed and said: "And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop."

On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal, Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting "so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing".

With the 32-member NATO alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on U.S. financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the U.S. president.

'DOESN'T HE DESERVE PRAISE?'

"No, I don't think so. I think it's a bit of a question of taste," he said, calling Trump a "good friend" for more than a decade and praising his role in "finally" persuading Europe to boost military spending.

"So doesn't he deserve some praise?" Rutte asked, also noting Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites.

"And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get his hands on a nuclear capability - I think he deserves all the praise."

Trump on Wednesday compared the impact of bombing Iran's nuclear sites to the end of World War Two, when the U.S. used atomic bombs against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 people.

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"I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended the war," Trump said.

Asked about Rutte's comments, Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. "He did it very affectionately," Trump said. "Daddy, you're my daddy."