BREAKING: Trump Claims U.S. Is Two Weeks Away From Destroying Every Iranian Target, Calls NATO a Paper Tiger

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According to the Punch Newspaper on Sunday 10 May 2026, United States President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that American forces could obliterate every remaining military target in Iran within just two weeks, describing the Islamic Republic as already “militarily defeated” following weeks of sustained strikes launched jointly with Israel.

Speaking in a televised interview with independent journalist Sharyl Attkisson — recorded last week but aired on Sunday — Trump painted a picture of overwhelming U.S. military superiority, while simultaneously expressing frustration at NATO allies he accused of sitting out the conflict entirely.

“They’re militarily defeated. In their own minds, maybe they don’t know that. But I think they do,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s leadership. He was nonetheless careful to add that being militarily defeated did not mean the threat from Tehran had been entirely extinguished.

The president revealed that U.S. forces have so far struck approximately 70 percent of their intended targets inside Iran since the campaign began on February 28, when American and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iranian territory. He suggested the remaining targets could be neutralised in a fortnight, though he framed further escalation as optional rather than inevitable.

“We have certain targets that we wanted, and we’ve done probably 70 percent of them, but we have other targets that we could conceivably hit,” Trump explained. “But even if we didn’t do that, you know, that would just be final touches.”

The remarks come at a delicate diplomatic moment. Iran is reported to have formally responded to the latest U.S. proposal aimed at negotiating an end to the ongoing conflict — a development that signals some room may still exist for a negotiated resolution, even as Washington projects unambiguous military confidence.

Perhaps equally notable were Trump’s pointed criticisms of NATO. The U.S. president, long a vocal sceptic of the alliance, used the interview to deliver his sharpest assessment yet of its relevance, declaring that the bloc had “proven to be a paper tiger” during the Iran campaign.

“They weren’t there to help,” he said bluntly — a comment likely to draw sharp responses from European capitals already navigating a fraught relationship with the Trump administration over defence spending and collective security commitments.

For Nigeria and the broader African continent, the conflict carries significant implications. Iran’s position as a regional power and a key player in global oil markets means any prolonged military engagement has the potential to affect energy prices, shipping lanes, and broader geopolitical alignments — all of which ripple into African economies.