Donald Trump addresses South Korean defense costs and Iran nuclear tensions

President Donald Trump has made conflicting statements regarding international defense costs and the Iranian nuclear program.

Regarding South Korea, Trump claimed that his administration successfully negotiated an increase in defense cost-sharing to nearly $3 billion annually. However, fact-checkers noted that South Korea had already been contributing hundreds of millions of dollars annually prior to his presidency, with contributions exceeding $800 million per year under the Obama administration. While Trump did secure an 8.2 percent increase, the actual amount remains significantly lower than his public descriptions.

On the issue of Iran, Trump expressed skepticism that Tehran would agree to a deal acceptable to the United States, stating, “They will not make the kind of deal that I consider necessary.” This follows “Operation Midnight Hammer” in June 2025, a joint US-Israeli military action targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Despite previous claims by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were destroyed, the US remains engaged in an ongoing conflict with the Iranian regime.