ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference during the 2026 NATO Leaders Summit at the Beştepe Presidential Compound on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Asked what changed with Iranian leaders, Trump says: 'I got to know 'em'

At a press conference held at the end of a NATO summit in Turkey, President Donald Trump said his new assessment of Iranian leaders as “scum” and “cuckoo” came after he came to understand the officials better.

0:46 • Source: CNN
The Middle East 16 videos
ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference during the 2026 NATO Leaders Summit at the Beştepe Presidential Compound on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Asked what changed with Iranian leaders, Trump says: 'I got to know 'em'
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<p>The US military said on Sunday that another service member was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone. The death comes a day after the Pentagon announced the fatalities of two service members in Jordan. CNN's Julia Benbrook reports on the latest from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. </p>
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<p>A top Iranian official has cast doubts on a deal being imminently reached between the US and Iran, telling CNN major roadblocks persist on issues like Iran’s nuclear programme and uranium enrichment. Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee told CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen that a “lack of trust” remains between the two sides and Tehran is yet to see a “serious will” from Washington to finalise the framework for a deal. </p>
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<p>Pope Leo XIV on Thursday denounced the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters but stressed that, “as a pastor,” he cannot support the US-Israeli war with Iran.</p>
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