Lead
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said the destruction of Iran's nuclear capabilities is "important for the whole world," and that new US strikes on Iran are "completely justified" and "absolutely necessary." His remarks, made during an interview with US President Donald Trump, underscore the alliance's backing for Washington's military actions against Tehran's nuclear program.
Coverage Comparison
TASS reported on Rutte's statements in two separate articles. In one, Rutte emphasized Europe's role as a key military ally of the United States, citing approximately 5,000 US aircraft that took off from European airbases for operations against Iran. In the other, Rutte's conversation with Trump was detailed, highlighting his endorsement of the strikes and his praise for Trump's influence on NATO defense spending.
Both reports quote Rutte directly, though they focus on different aspects of his remarks: the first on the logistical scale of the operations and Europe's contribution, and the second on the justification for the strikes and the political dynamics within the alliance.
Key Claims
Rutte told Trump that degrading Iran's nuclear capability is crucial for the region, Europe, Israel, and the whole world. He described Europe as "one big platform of power projection for the United States," noting that some 5,000 US flights were carried out from European bases in support of the war against Iran.
Rutte acknowledged "isolated cases" where European countries did not fulfill bilaterally agreed commitments, causing disappointment in the US. He specifically mentioned that Trump interrupted him to note that Britain and Spain had not allowed the US to use their bases, but Rutte countered that it was thanks to Trump that those countries had increased their military spending.
Rutte also credited Trump with securing $1.2 trillion in additional NATO defense spending, a figure he called the "Trump trillion." He cited the closure of Bucharest airport for commercial traffic for several days as an example of the scale of the operations.
The reports also provided background on the conflict: on February 28, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, with major Iranian cities including Tehran coming under attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, targeting US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
In mid-June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Talks between the US and Iran on implementing the memorandum took place on June 21-22 at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, mediated by Doha and Islamabad. A joint statement by Pakistan and Qatar described the meeting as positive and constructive, with encouraging progress achieved, including the establishment of a foundation for further technical consultations.