The head of NATO says that despite public criticism from a few European leaders, President Donald Trump is receiving significant backing from U.S. allies in his campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
Speaking to Newsmax, Mark Rutte, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said there is “widespread support” among NATO countries for the ongoing U.S.-Israeli operation against Tehran.
While Rutte emphasized that NATO itself is not directly involved in the military campaign, he said alliance members are broadly supportive of the mission and are helping enable operations in the region.
“Obviously allies are basically, on a massive scale, supportive of what the president is doing,” Rutte said during an appearance on The Record With Greta Van Susteren. “They are also enabling what the U.S. is doing now in the region, taking out this nuclear capability of Iran and, of course, the missile capability.”
European Concerns About Iran
Rutte noted that many European nations share Washington’s concerns about Iran’s actions beyond the Middle East. According to him, several NATO countries have faced threats and even assassination attempts tied to the Iranian regime.
He specifically referenced security concerns affecting the Iranian diaspora in Europe and said his own country, the Netherlands, has experienced ongoing threats linked to Tehran.
Despite those concerns, some European leaders — including Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sanchez — have publicly criticized aspects of the military operation.
Still, Rutte suggested that behind the scenes many NATO allies continue to assist the U.S. and Israel with what he described as “key enabling support.”
NATO on High Alert
Rutte also stressed that NATO remains focused on defending its own territory as tensions in the region escalate.
Under the alliance’s Article 5, an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all members.
However, he said the alliance deliberately keeps ambiguity about when Article 5 would be triggered.
“For good reasons, we always stay very ambiguous about when Article 5 is triggered,” Rutte explained, adding that the uncertainty is meant to deter adversaries.
Missile Threat Intercepted
Rutte pointed to a recent incident involving a missile threat directed toward Turkey, a NATO ally.
According to him, the missile was intercepted by NATO anti-missile defenses before it could strike potential targets connected to U.S. interests in the country.
“That shows the system is working,” Rutte said, emphasizing that NATO remains vigilant and ready to defend “every inch” of alliance territory.
Support for Middle East Partners
Beyond NATO’s borders, Rutte said the alliance is also closely coordinating with partners in the Middle East amid what he described as indiscriminate attacks against regional countries including United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
He said NATO officials remain in constant contact with those partners as the situation develops.
“Our military leadership and our forces are prepared,” Rutte said. “We will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
