NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte publicly backed the latest US strikes on Iran on Tuesday, calling them absolutely necessary and signalling unprecedented alliance solidarity with Washington’s military response to Iranian ceasefire violations, even as tensions at the Ankara summit threatened to overshadow the gathering’s defence spending agenda.
“When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully reacts,” Rutte told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, where US President Donald Trump and alliance leaders were simultaneously negotiating a $40 billion counter-drone package and a €70 billion Ukraine aid pledge.
The comments mark a significant shift in NATO’s public posture. Earlier in the conflict, European allies had declined to support US military operations against Iran and refused access to their bases, triggering Trump’s threats to reduce America’s European troop presence. Rutte’s statement suggests the alliance is now closing ranks behind Washington’s Iran policy as ceasefire violations mount.
US Central Command struck more than 80 Iranian targets overnight after Iran attacked three commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes on 85 US military sites across Bahrain and Kuwait. Brent crude rose 3% to $74.16 following the exchange.
