TEHRAN: Iran on Thursday sharply criticised NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte over remarks suggesting that several alliance members provided logistical support to the United States during its recent military campaign against Iran, describing the comments as evidence of the bloc’s “complicity” in what Tehran called an unlawful act of aggression.
The dispute emerged after Rutte, speaking to US broadcaster Fox News, highlighted the role played by NATO allies during the American military operation known as “Epic Fury”. He stated that a number of allied countries had facilitated the mission by granting access to military infrastructure and operational support.
According to Rutte, hundreds of US aircraft departed from American facilities in Italy as part of the operation. He also claimed that Romania had reduced commercial air traffic to make airport facilities available for aerial refuelling and other military requirements linked to the campaign.
The NATO chief’s comments came amid ongoing debate within the alliance over the conflict. While US President Donald Trump has praised countries that assisted Washington’s military efforts, he has also expressed disappointment with allies that declined to publicly support the operation against Iran.
Baqaei calls NATO chief’s remarks a ‘damning admission’
Reacting to Rutte’s remarks, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused NATO of directly participating in a military action that violated international law. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Baqaei said the alliance chief’s comments amounted to a “clear and damning admission” of NATO’s active involvement in a war against a sovereign member state of the United Nations.
⚡️🇮🇷🇪🇺🇺🇸 — Iranian MFA spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemns NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s Fox News remarks as evidence of the alliance’s complicity in US-Israeli strikes on Iran:
“The Organization and its individual member States that participated in such decision – making… pic.twitter.com/Zj67wYs0Sk— MaxOsint Intel (@maxosintintel) June 25, 2026
He further said that such support represented a breach of fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international legal norms governing the use of force between states.
The controversy has also prompted a response from Italy, which sought to distance itself from the NATO chief’s characterisation of events. Italy’s Defence Ministry said Rutte’s remarks created a misleading impression by conflating authorised logistical movements with combat-related operations.
In an official statement, the ministry maintained that Rome had only permitted technical and logistical flights by US forces under existing bilateral agreements and had not authorised military missions involving direct combat operations against Iran.
The exchange underscores continuing tensions surrounding the recent US-Israeli campaign and its broader implications for NATO members, some of whom remain cautious about becoming entangled in conflicts beyond the alliance’s traditional security framework.
The episode is likely to intensify diplomatic friction between Tehran and Western governments as questions persist over the extent of allied involvement in military operations targeting Iran.
