Iran accuses NATO of complicity after Rutte says 'Ally after ally' backed US war effort

Iran on Thursday accused NATO of being complicit in the US-Israel war against Tehran after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged that European bases had been made available to the US military during the six-week conflict.

The remarks, made during Rutte’s visit to Washington and reported by Al Jazeera, have intensified scrutiny over the extent to which European allies assisted Washington while publicly distancing themselves from the fighting.

President Donald Trump, who met Rutte at the White House on Wednesday, again vented frustration with European governments, saying he was disappointed with Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain over their response to the war.

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European support for US operations

In interviews, Rutte said “Ally after ally” had allowed the use of bases, and he pointed to Italy and Romania as examples of countries that provided logistical support.

He said that about 4,000 to 5,000 US aircraft had taken off from bases in Europe during the conflict and added that Italy alone had hosted around 500 US flights linked to Operation Epic Fury, the US name for the campaign.

Rutte also said European allies were still helping the United States safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, including through mine-clearing preparations. Trump, meanwhile, told reporters that while Washington did not need assistance, “it would have been nice” if European countries had helped.

Tehran raises the diplomatic stakes

Iran’s foreign ministry seized on Rutte’s comments, calling them proof of NATO’s “active complicity” and demanding that the alliance and any member states involved be held accountable.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on X that the revelation amounted to an admission of participation in an unlawful war of aggression against a sovereign UN member state. He said NATO members that took part in the decision-making, along with European countries that helped the American-Israeli campaign, should explain to their own publics and to the world why they had chosen to cooperate.

Al Jazeera reported that the war killed more than 3,400 people in Iran and caused extensive damage to oil and civilian infrastructure.

Europe confronts an awkward reckoning

The disclosure has also triggered political fallout in Europe, particularly in Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously said, “We are not at war and we do not want to enter a war.”

Italy’s defense minister, Guido Crosetto, rejected Rutte’s framing and said the NATO chief had conveyed a “totally misleading message” by confusing authorized support flights with combat operations.

Crosetto said Italy had only allowed technical and logistical, non-kinetic activity under long-standing agreements with the United States. Elsewhere, the United Kingdom allowed limited use of Diego Garcia for defensive maneuvers, while Spain and France refused the use of their airbases for military purposes.

With tensions still running high and NATO’s annual meeting in Ankara approaching, the row has underscored how the war on Iran has reopened old divisions inside the alliance.

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FAQs

Q1: Why has Iran accused NATO of complicity in the US war?

Ans: Iran says NATO became complicit after Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged that several European allies allowed the US military to use their bases during the conflict.

Q2: Which European countries were involved in supporting US operations against Iran?

Ans: According to NATO chief Mark Rutte, countries including Italy and Romania provided logistical support, while other European nations took differing positions on US military access.