Wire flash
ConflictNATO Chief: New U.S. Military Strikes on Iran 'Absolutely Necessary'
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared that new U.S. military strikes against Iran were 'absolutely necessary' following attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. revoked a license allowing Iranian oil sales and launched a fresh wave of strikes on July 7, 2026, after projectiles hit the tankers, straining an already fragile ceasefire. Rutte accused Iran of violating the ceasefire and stressed the importance of a forceful U.S. response. He made the remarks before a NATO summit in Ankara, where European leaders aimed to convince U.S. President Donald Trump to reaffirm commitment to the alliance amid disputes over the Iran war and Greenland. Rutte affirmed U.S. commitment to NATO but called for European and Canadian defense spending parity with the U.S., framing this as a win against Russian President Putin.
Source report
Ankara — The new attacks by the United States on Iran were "absolutely necessary," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday (July 8, 2026).
The U.S. military launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) and revoked a license permitting Tehran to sell oil, after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation has put pressure on an already fragile ceasefire.
"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully react," Mr. Rutte told reporters ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Ankara.
Summit Context
At the summit, European leaders aim to convince U.S. President Donald Trump to re-commit to the military alliance, after the President revived disputes with them over the Iran war and Greenland.
Mr. Rutte stated there could be no doubt regarding the "complete commitment of the United States to NATO," which he said also works to protect the United States.
Related: What to know about NATO's summit in Turkey as America steps back from its defence of Europe
Spending Commitments
"But there's also the expectation that the Europeans and the Canadians will equalise their spending with the United States, which I think is completely fair," he added.
"The good news is that this is the big win today. It's the loss for President Putin, it is a win for President Trump that the Europeans and the Canadians are doing exactly that," said Mr. Rutte.
Published - July 08, 2026 03:18 pm IST | Reuters
Source
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Western
Part of this Story
Trump Threatens NATO Allies Over Iran War Support, Rutte Seeks to Appease