NATO Secretary General Rutte: NATO does not plan to participate in attacks against Iran

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made statements regarding how NATO handles developments in Iran and the region during an interview with a British television channel. When asked if the disconnect between the positions of the US and Europe regarding attacks on Iran complicates NATO's stance, Rutte said, "Actually, I can say that Europe is really taking on more responsibility. When you look at the statements made by Prime Minister Starmer yesterday, along with his trip to Washington for meetings at the White House tomorrow, you see that he is absolutely supporting what the Americans are doing. Iran's nuclear and ballistic capacity is a threat to Europe, to Israel, and to the region."

Arguing that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's positive response to the US request for base usage also demonstrates Europe's approach to the issue, Rutte said, "It is clear that Europe is really taking responsibility, and this is very important."

"We know that Iran is a threat"

Stating that he spoke with many European officials yesterday and witnessed that many of them were pleased with the operation, Rutte said, "Because today we know that Iran is a threat. Not only domestically, but also when it comes to Europe, Israel, and the entire region, it is aggressive. This is a terrorist regime. Therefore, it is clearly a threat to London, Hamburg, and my hometown, The Hague."

Emphasizing that Iran also poses a threat to Ukraine, as it is one of the key players enabling Russia's war efforts, Rutte said, "That is why I see widespread support across Europe for what the US is doing."

"NATO does not plan to participate in attacks against Iran"

When asked about the possibility of NATO forces participating in the attack as Europe's position on Iran changes, Rutte said, "No. This is clearly an operation conducted by the Americans and the Israelis."

Rutte added, "However, NATO allies are currently enabling this operation that the US is conducting together with Israel."

When asked about the possibility of Gulf Arab countries participating in attacks against Iran, Rutte replied, "We will see what happens in the coming hours and days. This essentially means that Iran is attacking its neighbors in the region without any military justification. Because they are attacking hotels and innocent civilians across the region. This is absolute madness."

Regarding the question of what steps NATO is taking to strengthen the defense of the Akrotiri airbase in Southern Cyprus following reports of it being targeted, Rutte responded by emphasizing that the Greek Cypriot administration is not part of NATO. Rutte said, "Our top commanders are in regular contact with them, and I am also in regular contact with them."

In response to a question about how events in Iran might affect the war in Ukraine, Rutte said, "First of all, we must not forget the fact that key military support for Ukraine is provided by the US, with the costs covered by European and Canadian allies."

Rutte added, "At the same time, we must not forget that Iran is one of the main actors providing military support to Russia to sustain the war against Ukraine through Shahed drones. This will undoubtedly have a huge impact on Ukraine's capacity to continue this war."

In his statement, where he referred to US President Trump as the "leader of the free world," Rutte said, "Significantly weakening Iran's capacity to create chaos in the region, in Europe, and everywhere else in the world makes us all safer."