NATO Secretary General Defends U.S. Strike on Iran as "Absolutely Necessary"

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has defended the United States' military action against Iran, which was taken in response to what the U.S. claims was an Iranian violation of a previous memorandum of understanding (MOU), stating that it was an "absolutely necessary measure."

According to Anadolu Agency, Rutte stated this during a press conference on the second day of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8 (local time), saying, "A ceasefire was in place, but Iran violated it, and yesterday we witnessed ships being attacked."

He added, "I believe it is very important for the U.S. to respond strongly."

Regarding the Iranian nuclear program, which is currently under negotiation between the U.S. and Iran, Secretary General Rutte mentioned that he expects NATO allies to "reaffirm that Iran must never possess nuclear capabilities."

He also emphasized the importance of "freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Regarding the increase in defense spending that U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded of NATO allies, Secretary General Rutte assessed that "President Trump has finally achieved the narrowing of the defense spending gap between Europe and the U.S., which every president since Eisenhower has attempted to do."

He also reaffirmed the goal for NATO member states to increase defense spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), stressing that "Canada and Europe plan to increase defense spending to 4% within one year."

When asked about a message for Russia, which is continuing its war in Ukraine, Secretary General Rutte replied, "An alliance of 1 billion people living in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. will defend every inch of our territory, and you will never be able to take it away."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.