NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will head to Washington next week as allies seek to smooth over transatlantic tensions ahead of NATO's annual summit in July, APA reports citing Euronews.
European-led efforts to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran agreement to end hostilities are expected to feature prominently in the discussions.
"The restoration of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be a massive step forward," Rutte told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.
"I know that many Allies, through the initiative led by France and the United Kingdom, are ready to support this effort," he added.
Rutte's 23-25 June visit comes as allies prepare for what NATO officials hope will be a more unified summit after months of transatlantic friction.
He was speaking ahead of Thursday's NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels, another key staging post before the summit. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is due to attend.
According to alliance sources, Rutte hopes to repair relations between Washington and its NATO allies after months of tension over European opposition to the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Officials say the US agreement with Tehran has reduced the risk of the July summit turning into a showdown between President Donald Trump and European leaders.
"Now there's a deal, it places us in a better position,” one NATO official told Euronews, adding that Trump "will be in a better place" after the peace deal with Iran is confirmed.
“Let’s face it: every time it was going bad in Iran, there was a big backlash for NATO allies,” the source added.
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