NATO Chief Calls US Strikes on Iran 'Absolutely Necessary' After Truce Violations
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that the latest United States strikes on Iran were ‘absolutely necessary’ following ceasefire violations.
The US military launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday local time and revoked a licence for Iranian oil sales, after three oil tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
‘I think it was absolutely necessary because when there is a ceasefire, and Iran basically breaks that ceasefire – we saw what happened yesterday with the attacks on the ships – I think it is very important that the US reacts firmly,’ Rutte told reporters ahead of a NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, Turkey, as reported by Reuters on Wednesday.
At the summit, European leaders are seeking to persuade US President Donald Trump to recommit to the military alliance, following disputes with NATO allies over the Iran war and the Greenland issue.
Rutte said there should be no doubt about ‘the full commitment of the United States to NATO’, which he said also serves to protect the US. ‘But there is also an expectation that the Europeans and Canada will level up their spending with the United States, which I think is very reasonable,’ he added. ‘The good news is that this is a big win today. This is a defeat for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, and a win for President Trump, that the Europeans and Canadians are actually doing that.’
The situation in the Strait of Hormuz escalated after Iran was accused of attacking three commercial vessels transiting the waterway in recent days, including ships owned by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the accusations and stressed that Tehran remains committed to ensuring the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. However, he also warned that ‘vessels using the route without coordination with Iranian authorities have exposed themselves to risk’.
Separately, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, citing anonymous sources, claimed that the Qatari tanker was targeted after repeatedly ignoring warnings from Iranian forces while transiting the Strait of Hormuz with US Navy support.
In response to the attacks, US Central Command launched offensive strikes against more than 80 Iran-linked targets, including Iranian air defence systems, coastal radar sites, and over 60 small craft belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The IRGC retaliated against the US assault by striking American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. The IRGC claimed that its naval and air forces conducted a combined missile and drone operation, hitting 85 key US military facilities in the two countries and shooting down an MQ-9 drone.