Rutte Reaffirms European Support for US Operations Against Iran

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has reaffirmed that approximately 4,000 to 5,000 US military aircraft sorties departed from European bases to support Washington’s operations against Iran. Speaking at the Atlantic Council on Thursday, Rutte stated that Operation ‘Epic Fury’ relies on logistical support from Europe. He had made similar remarks a day earlier during a meeting with US President Donald Trump. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described Rutte’s statement as a ‘clear and incriminating admission’ of NATO’s active involvement in a conflict against a sovereign United Nations member state. Rutte had previously noted that some NATO members were initially slow to support the US military operation against Iran because they had not received prior notification from Trump. However, nearly all allies ultimately provided the support requested by Washington. On a separate occasion, Trump said he was considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after allies refused to join the US and Israel in the war against Iran. Trump also stated he no longer views Europe as a reliable defence partner after European nations rejected his request to deploy warships to strategic waterways.