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Rutte says White House is disappointed with European allies over Iran

02 July 2026 00:38 (UTC +04:00)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the White House is disappointed with the alliance's European allies over the situation surrounding Iran, APA reports.

"There's a certain amount of disappointment [with Europe] in the White House regarding Iran," he admitted in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper . "I tried to explain in Washington that this is due to isolated incidents. But if you consider the overall picture—up to 5,000 sorties of American aircraft from European bases—Europe is the only major platform for the US to project power," Rutte asserted. "This is one of the most important reasons why the US has a direct interest in an alliance with Europe," he said.

The NATO Secretary General believes the organization owes a debt of gratitude to US President Donald Trump for remaining "very strong." He noted that Canada and European countries have increased their defense spending.